An illegal New Year’s Eve party attended by 100 people was held at a £4million home near Teddy Sheringham’s house in England’s worst Covid-19 hotspot.
The rave, which was broken up by police, took place at a luxury property called Knoll House in the upmarket hamlet of Sewardstonebury in Epping Forest, Essex.
Neighbours believe that new tenants moved into the large detached house around a month ago, although it is unclear who held the event.
The rave, which was broken up by police, took place at a luxury property called Knoll House in the upmarket hamlet of Sewardstonebury in Epping Forest, Essex (pictured)
A woman has been fined £10,000 for organising a house party – complete with a fire dancer as an entertainer – at her home in Sewardstonebury, Essex
Officers also handed out more than 25 fixed penalty notices to guests and seized sound equipment (pictured) from the luxury house
A video posted to Twitter, claiming to be shot at the party, showed multiple young adults dancing and partying inside a room.
The event featured balloons, sparklers, a DJ, and a fire dancer entertaining guests outside with alcohol served in large ice buckets by a waiter in a bow tie.
The woman organiser of the party was given a £10,000 fixed penalty notice by Essex Police for breaking strict anti-coronavirus rules.
Plastic sheeting also appeared to have been put over the gates of the house during the party to prevent onlookers peering in.
Police closed down the party in the early hours of New Year’s Day after swooping on the house which is close to the home of former England footballer Teddy Sheringham.
Officers also handed out more than 25 fixed penalty notices to guests and seized sound equipment from the luxury house.
Police made a dispersal order forcing guests to leave the area of the party which they described as a ‘large, unauthorised gathering’.
Revellers could be seen dancing at a house party in Sewardstonebury, Essex, yesterday, with more than 100 people in attendance before police were called
The Epping Forest area has the highest coronavirus rate in England with 1,328 new cases per 100,000 people recorded in the week leading up to December 27.
A near neighbour said: ‘We saw loads of police arrive in the early hours. I thought at first that there might have been a murder rather than a party.
‘I know the house had been up for rent because there were signs outside and I think new tenants moved in around a month ago because I saw people coming and going.’
Debris including red party cups and bottles were strewn around nearby verges and on the driveway leading up to the gates of the house which had curtains drawn on January 1.
A black Range Rover was visible, parked on the front lawn, beside other empty drinks cups
Knoll House was sold in 2010 for £2.5m, but is now thought to be worth around £4m.
A man who answered the intercom on the gate of the house denied any knowledge of the party, saying: ‘I don’t know about it.’
Former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Sheringham, 54, who played 51 times for England lives only a few hundred yards down the road.
Essex Police also broke up a party at 500-year-old All Saints Church in East Horndon near Brentwood
Officers were threatened at the conservation-run church and had objects thrown at them as they dispersed hundreds of people and seized equipment, the force said.
Two men from Harlow, aged 27 and 22, and a 35-year-old from Southwark were arrested on suspicion of public order and drugs offences.
Two men were also arrested at a third party in Essex attended by 100 people in a disused warehouse at Brentwood.
Essex Assistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet accused all the party-goers of ‘blatantly’ flouting anti-coronavirus rules.
He added: ‘Ultimately, they decided that partying was more important than protecting other people.
‘We’ve seized their equipment, arrested five people, and issued a large number of fines to those who think this behaviour is acceptable.’
Met Police issued 217 people with fixed penalty fines and five people could receive £10,000 fines for organising large gatherings across London.
There were similar raves across the country, as Greater Manchester Police issued 105 fines, compared to 66 in Brighton and Hove.
The maximum fine for breaking coronavirus restrictions is £10,000 for the most egregious breaches.