Three men have been fined for their involvement with an unlicensed music event in Brentwood on New Year's Eve.

In June, the Recorder reported that three men - from Romford, Rainham and Brentwood respectively - had been charged with holding, or being involved in holding, a rave-type gathering of more than 30 persons indoors in a Tier 4 area.

This followed an Essex Police investigation into the rave, which took place at Brentwood's All Saints Church in contravention of Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time.

John Galsworthy, 40, of Denholme Walk, Rainham; Jonathan Hedges, 33, of Pondfield Lane, Brentwood; and Jay Davis, 35, of Chase Cross Road, Romford appeared before Basildon Magistrates’ Court on July 22 charged with the above offence.

Davis also faced a charge of perverting the course of justice.

All three men entered guilty pleas, with Galsworthy and Hedges both fined £400 and ordered to pay £125 and £40 in compensation and victim surcharge respectively.

Davis was fined £1,013 and ordered to pay £125 in compensation. A £100 victim surcharge was also imposed.

There were costs of £105 to the CPS for all three defendants.

A fundraiser to repair the damage to the church raised £20,000 in a matter of days.