Rave organisers are using empty warehouses to host all-night illegal parties.

Residents have been left with sleepless nights after raves were held until the early hours of the morning.

Newhaven police are asking people along the East Sussex coast to look out for illegal raves that are being held in empty and often remote empty buildings in the area and warned that they are likely to become more frequent heading into the summer.

Officers are warning that rave organisers have begun hosting events in empty industrial units including an illegal rave set- up in Peacehaven that attracted around 100 people to an old building.

Elsewhere in the county, 1600 youngsters were invited to a rave in Southwater Country Park, near Horsham, at the end of last month.

Fortunately Sussex Police were alerted to the event beforehand and only about 50 young people eventually turned up.

Officers said no offences were committed and no calls were received from members of the public about any anti-social behaviour.

The raves are part of a national trend which is seeing the return of illegal gatherings which were extremely prominent in the early 90s and which are now being promoted via social media rather than just word-of-mouth or flyers.

PC David Tourell said: "While some may see them as harmless, they can cause distress and inconvenience to people living locally, but more importantly, as they are unlicensed and unmonitored, they are potentially dangerous places to be for those taking part.

“The buildings may have been unoccupied for some time, they often don't have the most basic of facilities and some can be downright hazardous to those attending."

A Sussex Police spokesman added: “Once a rave becomes established it is very difficult to close it down safely, especially during the hours of darkness.

“Early warnings of events, either from people living close by or from information gleaned from social media, enables officers to attend and prevent people from accessing the site.”

Anyone who becomes suspicious of people arriving at an outdoor site or disused building is asked to call Sussex Police on 101.