MORE than 40 people are facing £800 fines after they were caught at an illegal rave in the vault of a disused bank in Southall.

Officers were on patrol on Sunday, March 7, when they heard loud music on Hortus Road just before 9am.

Upon closer inspection, they identified the source of the noise as coming from a neglected building.

They discovered that 44 people had made their way in through a gap in a fence and had set up a DJ equipment with speakers.

Officers entered the venue and reported all in attendance for consideration of a fixed penalty notice for £800 before removing them from the premises.

Enquiries continue in order to track down the organiser of the event.

Detective Chief Inspector, Thomas Bowen, from the West Area Command Unit said: "It is disappointing some selfish people still insist on breaking COVID regulations.

"We are all excited about the prospect of returning to normal in June - and some changes to restrictions are imminent – but behaviour like this risks undermining the roadmap out of lockdown and could potentially cause further delays by creating a breeding ground for the virus.

"We will continue to do our part in shutting illegal events like this down and taking action where necessary."