More than 1,000 ravers from all across the UK took over a Welsh industrial estate over the Easter bank holiday. It has emerged that the event was organised using secret messages sent by text with people only finding out the location late on Saturday.
Revellers travelled hundreds of miles from places like Totnes, Gloucester, Reading and Lincoln, which is more than 200 miles from the Kenfig Industrial Estate in Margam.
They told WalesOnline that the Easter weekend event is known as EggTech - a techno rave which happens every year on Easter Sunday. Some of them said that last year they travelled to a similar site in Dorset to dance all evening in the outdoors.
Read more: The pictures inside huge illegal rave that has taken over a Welsh industrial estate
Chris, who travelled more than four hours on Saturday to get to the illegal rave, said the long journey had been "completely worth it". Follow live updates from the scene here.
Explaining how they find these raves, he said: "Basically they come out about a week before. Everyone sends their numbers in on the social media group and then everyone gets a group text saying: 'Ring this number on this day.' Then on the phone line it gives you a general area to go to.
"On Saturday night it said 'head to Bristol area'. So everyone in the country going was heading to Bristol last night. Then that changed to Cardiff as we were driving through the night. That's the best thing. It's an adventure. Eventually you find out where you're going."
He added: "I've been going to them for years and you get to know so many people. It says on all texts: 'Respect the land and respect the police.' It's just a bit of fun getting loads of people together and having a party. I've always found as long as you're nice to the police they're decent."
South Wales Police say more than 1,000 people have attended the illegal gathering which is carrying on during Easter Sunday. Officers have blocked off a road to the site and have asked people to stay away.
George, 47, from Lincolnshire, travelled more than 230 miles to "relive her youth" having been a raver in her teens and early twenties. She said: "To me it's a way to come and be with nature and head to the rave and to the beach. To me that's all it is. To some it isn't that, granted, but to me it's just a chance to do that. I'm like a kid at Christmas not knowing when the next rave is coming along, not knowing where we're heading. That part of it is so exciting. We've driven from Lincoln today. We got here at midnight last night. People judge us, but they shouldn't. It's fun and it's peaceful."
Nigel travelled from Hampshire with his three friends in a van. He said he got to the estate in the early hours. He explained that this weekend is particularly important on the rave scene. "It's a class event and this is a good place for it. Last year we had it in Dorset. It was 100% worth the trip."
While the industrial estate is remote, one resident said locals could hear the music from the bottom of the hill towards the M4. Local Chris Davies heard the music when he got up for work on Sunday morning. "I started work at 6am this morning and I thought it was a concert or something," he said. "You could hear it at the bottom of the hill. They're not much trouble. There were people walking down this morning and I stopped a guy and asked: 'What's going on? Is it a concert?' He just went: 'Uuuhhh.' I wasn't getting much out of him."
Despite South Wales Police asking people to leave the scene, many hundreds were still raving well into the afternoon on Easter Sunday, more than 12 hours after it had begun. Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis, of South Wales Police said: “Initial reports indicated that in excess of 1000 people and 70 vehicles are in attendance. A number of officers have been deployed. We are urging people to leave the site safely and stay away from the event."
The Welsh Ambulance Service has attended in response to calls from the scene. Currently three people have been taken to hospital, none of those persons are seriously injured.
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