The UK’s illegal rave scene has spiked in popularity during lockdown, with gatherings taking place everywhere from London warehouses to school bathrooms. The latest drama comes from a group of people caught throwing a party in south-east England, who told police they were “unaware” of the coronavirus pandemic because they don’t follow the news.

According to Hampshire police, officers responded to an incident in Basingstoke this weekend after numerous reports of a party at a residence in breach of COVID-19 rules.

The bizarre incident came to light after Hampshire constabulary tweeted about the party on Saturday, alongside the hashtag #ThereAreNoWords.

The current COVID-19 guidelines in England state that people should only leave the house for essential trips, such as work, medical reasons, or food shopping. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, almost 32,000 fines have been distributed for breaches to the coronavirus guidelines. In England, fines can be up to £10,000.

One of the most notorious free parties of the summer happened over the August bank holiday, when 3,000 people descended on the Welsh village of Banwen. Though authorities hit the organisers with hefty fines, the locals went viral for their laidback attitude, which saw them make cups of tea for the ravers.

More wholesome is an incident involving a 12-year-old aspiring DJ, Cael Bell, who threw a lunchtime rave in the boys’ toilets of his school with complimentary bottles of Lucozade and Cadbury Twirls. What a legend.