Crime, Political | Posted on April 8th, 2026 | return to news

Dorset Police face criticism over Lulworth rave

People who attended a rave in East Lulworth on Easter Sunday have accused police of using excessive force in their handling of the situation.

The tactics of Dorset Police have been questioned following an illegal rave in East Lulworth on Easter Sunday.

According to reports, up to 2,000 people assembled on a Ministry of Defence firing range for an unauthorised music event during the weekend of 4–5 April.

On Sunday, officers from Dorset Police and other forces across the country donned riot gear to forcibly disperse the crowd.

In comments on social media, members of the public, including people who attended the rave, accused police of using excessive force and “brutalising” the revellers.

In videos shared with Dorset View, police can be seen striking with shields and batons. In one video, a man is pulled from the crowd and pinned to the ground by several officers, and blood can be seen across his face. In a separate video, what appears to be the same man is carried away by police.

One partygoer, Bella Wilson, wrote on social media: “One man was seen and videoed a lot who has his face coated in blood as he had police drag him from the crowd, beat him, put their shields on his neck and had two grown men in uniform sit down on him, and then surrounding police officers covered the scene while they put him in a van. Police hand out fake documents stating that all cars are being seized in order to put fear and division into the people.

“Pepper spray was used on non-violent people who were just sat down listening to music. People were left without phones, water, food, chargers, shoes and clothes as police push people away from their cars and would not let them back in. People slept in the field overnight as they could not access their cars and were left with nothing while it frosted over in the morning. No care from police.”

Police reported that objects, including bottles, had been thrown at them. A police spokesperson said:

“While responding to the incident involving a large number of people, our officers came under attack from missiles and faced a violent and hostile reception. Violence in our communities and against our officers will not be tolerated. This event caused significant disruption to local communities, and we responded in order to bring it to a safe conclusion.

“The force has received complaints in relation to the alleged use of force by officers during the incident. These will now be reviewed and, if appropriate, investigated in line with the usual force complaints procedure.”

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick also defended the police response to the incident. He said: “Unlicensed music events which cause significant disruption to residents and visitors will not be tolerated. Police officers responding to this incident faced hostility and violence, and that is totally unacceptable.

“Incidents like this pose serious risks, not only to those attending but to the wider community, and it is right Dorset Police use the powers available to them to bring the situation to a safe and controlled conclusion.

“As is standard, a review of evidence from the scene is underway.”

Local residents also reported concerns about the rave, including noise complaints and distress caused to their animals and livestock.