ATTEMPTS to stop an illegal rave in Sutton-in-Craven have suffered a setback.

Following complaints from people living close to the annual summer rave at Sutton Clough, the parish council made attempts to stop the event from taking place.

But efforts to halt the rave by telling the organisers they need to apply for a licence have failed, because the council does not know who they are.

Lindsey Quinn, head of environmental health and housing at Craven District Council, said: "Unfortunately, false contact details have been given to the council and we have been unable to trace the event's organisers.

"We are currently in discussions with the police and Sutton Parish Council to try to prevent this unlicensed event from taking place," she added.

At last month's meeting of Sutton Parish Council, residents of Hall Drive said they wanted the annual rave, which attracts up to 200 people and is usually held in late August or early September, to be stopped.

They fear it is only a matter of time before someone is injured, and warned the parish council, which owns the land, that it could be liable.

Coun Neil Whitaker, chairman of Sutton Parish Council, said their only hope now of stopping the event was to wait until organisers moved onto the site.

And he admitted unless they knew exactly when the rave was to be held, there was little they could do.

"We're not allowed to shut it because it is a public footpath and we can't put barriers across it because emergency vehicles have to be able to get access," said Coun Whitaker.

"We're very much stuck at the moment. We're waiting to see if it comes up on the internet and then we can tell the police and they can hopefully stop people before they start."

The event, which has been held since 2002, was originally held as a birthday party, but has grown to include sound systems, video screens and generators.

It is advertised at the last minute on the internet and its organisers change every year.

Coun Whitaker added: "We're doing all we possibly can to stop it, but we can't shut it. We just have to ask people to be vigilant and let us know when people start arriving so we can tell the police."