A dispersal order has been used to break up crowds at an illegal rave on a footpath.

Revellers were forced to stop partying on a stretch of the Greenway near the A13 in Newham after the police were called at about 11.50pm on Saturday, July 4.

A Met spokesperson said: “A dispersal zone was authorised under section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 to encourage crowds to leave.”

It took almost three hours to shutdown the event with the Greenway cleared by about 2.45am.

The spokesperson said: “There were no arrests and everyone dispersed safely.”

The party came on the same day lockdown restrictions were eased further with pubs, restaurants and bars opening on a day dubbed “Super Saturday”.

It followed 11 police officers getting injured after a crowd turned hostile when the Met attempted to break up an unlicensed music event in Hammersmith on July 3.

There were no reports of injuries at the unlicensed music event on the Greenway.

Cyclists and walkers had already taken part in a protest in March to raise awareness of crime along the Greenway which many said was becoming unsafe to use at night.

It is currently against the law for gatherings of more than 30 people to take place in homes or in outdoor public places unless planned by an organisation and in line with Covid-19 guidance.

People can meet outside in groups of up to six people from different households but they must follow social distancing guidelines.