Two men will face trial this summer for allegedly organising a rave in November in breach of coronavirus restrictions.

Robert Bagot, 32, is accused of helping to organise the event on Childers Street in Deptford, south London, on November 22 last year.

Both Bagot, of Audrey Road, Ilford, and co-defendant Henok Yefru, of Belgrave Road, Leyton, accept being present but deny organising the gathering.

They both denied a single count of holding or being involved in holding a rave-type gathering in England of more than 30 people indoors – an offence with a maximum fine of £10,000.

City of London Magistrates’ Court heard that one of the issues in the case will be whether lending sound equipment to the rave would meet the definition of being organisers of the event.

Their trial was listed for a day-long hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 19.

Magistrate Andrew Hammond suggested the trial should be given a longer time slot than usual, due to the fact both solicitors and magistrates are “unfamiliar with this (coronavirus) legislation”.

Bagot and Yefru’s case was one of 63 cases of coronavirus legislation breaches listed at the court on Friday.

Other defendants included Jessica Cosson, 29, of Wildcary Lane, Harold Wood, who was issued a fine for remaining in Borough Market with a friend having been asked to leave by police on the evening of November 18.

Cosson, of Harold Wood, Romford, told the court she had been moving house at the time and had asked for the fixed penalty notice to be sent to her work address.

She missed the deadline to pay and was issued a court summons because the circuit breaker lockdown imposed before Christmas meant her office was closed and she was unable to collect her post.

Ordering her to pay a fine and court costs of £319, Mr Hammond said: “These are extraordinary times we are living through and the pandemic and lockdown are matters of literal life and death to some people.

“Those who do not comply and do not follow the instructions of the police when told to go home risk the safety and wellbeing of others.”

Many of the 43 defendants told to attend court for 10am on Friday morning failed to turn up, although some entered guilty pleas via email and another was suffering Covid symptoms.