By July 1990, the Second Summer of Love was pretty much over.
Huge, ecstasy fuelled, "acid house" parties in empty warehouses commandeered by party organisers were being ruined by organised criminals, attempting to capitalise on a new social phenomenon. Following a moral panic propagated by the tabloids, police forces were pressured into shutting down these do-it-yourself parties which had, despite the obvious drug taking, remained peaceful until gangs got involved.
Some acid house lovers or "ravers", however, wanted one last chance to recapture the buzz they'd experienced at raves during the previous two years. While police in East Lancashire were, by 1990, fairly experienced in intercepting and closing down acid house parties, West Yorkshire Police were less clued up.
