UK - Police have requested a licensing review of the Bulldog Bash biker festival amid fears for public safety and its associations with organised crime. The event, being held at Long Marston Airfield near Stratford in August, is attended by tens of thousands of people and is one of the biggest festivals of its type in Europe.
But its reputation has been marred since the murder of Hells Angel Gerry Tobin, who was shot dead by members of the rival Outlaws gang on the M40 near Leamington on his way home from the event in 2007.
Warwickshire Assistant Chief Constable Bill Holland said: "We have made it quite clear we do not want the Bulldog Bash to take place in Warwickshire.
"The Hells Angels are an organised crime group recognised by five forces in the UK and by many police services and some countries internationally.
"We have intelligence that shows the event is used to fund activities that cause harm to the public regionally, nationally and internationally."
Police increased security outside the festival last year, which passed without any major incidents.
But the force has invoked section 53a of the Licensing Act 2003, which requires an authority to hold a hearing within 28 days of the date a notice is given if police believe the event is associated with serious criminality.
Stratford District Council will now set the date of the hearing, having rejected the force's first application in May on the grounds there was insufficient reason for a review.
Mr Holland said: "We will ensure that all those responsible for facilitating, managing or contributing to, or receiving benefit from, the Bulldog Bash understand the nature of the event they are supporting.
"If we do not do all in our power to prevent this event from taking place we would be failing in our duty to protect life and prevent other harm being caused."
A spokesman for the Bulldog Bash has said there was "absolutely no evidence" of any threat of serious harm to the public and added that in the past police had praised the safety and organisation of the event.
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