About 6,000 people attended two illegal raves in Greater Manchester where an 18-year-old woman was raped, a man died of a suspected drugs overdose and three people were stabbed. Police said they were met with violence and pelted with objects when they tried to shut down one of the mass gatherings on Saturday night. Chris Sykes, an assistant chief constable at Greater Manchester police, said: “These raves were illegal and I condemn them taking place – they were clearly a breach of coronavirus legislation and guidelines, and have had tragic consequences.” The force said it was investigating the rape of an 18-year-old woman at one illegal rave in Carrington, Trafford, where 2,000 people had gathered. It said three man were stabbed at the event, including an 18-year-old who was left with life-threatening injuries. A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and enquiries are continuing to locate the suspects involved in these incidents, police said. At a separate rave in in Failsworth, Oldham, police said a 20-year-old man died from a suspected drugs overdose at an event attended by about 4,000 people at its peak. Footage showed a huge crowd dancing around a “Quarantine rave” banner in Daisy Nook park. It came as police forces across Britain faced one of their busiest weekends since the lockdown began in March. Police were called to similar mass gatherings in Leeds and Staffordshire on Saturday night, while many forces dealt with confrontations between anti-racism protesters and the far right during the day. A demonstration by the rightwing group Democratic Football Lads Alliance turned violent in London. Skyes said specialist officers were providing support to the family of the man who died and the victim of the suspected rape. He said Greater Manchester police had recorded a 60% increase in 999 calls on Saturday night – to more than 1,500 calls – while the number of people calling 101 nearly doubled. People had been drawn to outdoor spaces as the weather improved at the weekend although many appeared to flout lockdown restrictions, which prohibit meetings of more than six people from different households. Sykes added: “Our top priority will always be the safety of the public, who we are here to serve and protect. We hope the public can recognise the challenges we are facing at the moment and our communities join together in doing the right thing by following the government guidelines. “Coronavirus is still a threat and we will continue to engage with people to encourage them to take some personal responsibility and do the right thing.” Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, who was volunteering for a local charity that was called to the rave in Oldham, described the partygoers as “completely irresponsible” and said they were putting themselves and their loved ones at risk. She tweeted: “A lot of effort went into online events this weekend across GM to stop this sort of stupidity. Those who attended should be ashamed of themselves. My local area now has to deal with the aftermath. Our public servants including our police and NHS staff are putting themselves on the frontline of fighting Covid and keeping us safe. These raves also increased the risk to them and their families. “Our rate of infection in the north-west is still of great concern. We all have a responsibility to our community to observe the rules and protect the most vulnerable. I urge people to observe social distancing and the current government advice on Covid.” Staffordshire police said its officers shut down an outdoor music event after a 999 call reported dozens of people in attendance in the village of Whittington, near Lichfield, on Saturday night. BirminghamLive reported500 people had attended the rave, some from as far away as Manchester. Police said one of its officers was attacked and a partygoer was arrested for drug-driving. Pictures showed beer bottles and nitrous oxide canisters strewn over the usually picturesque woodland. In Leeds, police were called to an illegal gathering where hundreds of people in cars had gathered around a supermarket car park in the suburb of Alwoodley. Residents complained to West Yorkshire police after roads became blocked with cars trying to get into the Sainsbury’s car park in Moor Allerton centre on Saturday night. • This article was amended on 14 June 2020. A previous version said the rave in Failsworth, Oldham, had taken place in Ashton-Under-Lyne, Tameside. This has been corrected.