AN ILLEGAL rave in Swindon has now closed down, after contact with the police turned into violent disorder in the early hours of this morning.

Officers confirmed that the music had been turned off at approximately 9.30am and the site is now clear.

Police are asking people to avoid the River Ray industrial estate this morning whilst they assess the damage to surrounding property.

There is now access to all the shops and businesses at the location.

The disorder escalated in the early hours resulting in a total of five arrests and four police officers injured.

Wiltshire Police were notified at 1.10am of a large number of cars gathering in the River Ray Industrial Estate, Barnfield Road, Rodbourne, Swindon.

Around one hundred people appeared to be heading for an empty unit on the industrial estate for an illegal rave.

Officers attended the scene and put in cordons around the area to turn revelers away.

At about 3am missiles were thrown at police officers.

A dog unit and the helicopter attended the scene. Several hundred people amassed at the location and made various attempts to attend the illegal rave.

In total four police officers sustained injuries from missiles thrown. One officer suffered a head injury after being hit and was taken to Great Western Hospital suffering concussion. He has since been released. 

Another officer suffered arm and head injuries and was treated at the scene. A member of the public also sustained a head injury.

Two further officers were also injured later on, including a dog handler, and were treated at the scene by paramedics. All of the injured officers were men.

Four people were arrested for public order offences and one for assaulting a police officer.

A man, aged 20, from Dunstable was arrested for public order offences but was released later with no further action.

Another man, aged 22, from Suffolk was arrested for violent disorder. He remains in custody at Gablecross police station. 

A woman, aged 20, from Norwich, was arrested for violent disorder and taken to Gablecross police station where she remains in custody.

A 21-year-old man from Kettering was arrested for violent disorder and taken to Gablecross police station where he remains in custody.

And a man, aged 34, from Cambridgeshire was arrested for violent disorder and assault of a police officer. He too was taken to Gablecross police station where he remains in custody.

Superintendent Andrew Carr said: “The event is now over but we have to assess the damage to local premises and businesses.

"It is very disappointing that this incident escalated resulting in arrests and officers injured.

"The police’s role is to keep the public safe and we have to facilitate the closing down of these illegal events in the best way we can.

“Members of the public became hostile to officers and began to throw missiles. This resulted in damage to vehicles parked nearby, and include some business premises and fences in the area.

“We would like to thank our colleagues in Avon and Somerset and Thames Valley police who came to assist us.

“We are pleased that this has now ended.”