Come to my party...and wreck my parents' house


Last updated at 10:17 13 April 2007

rachel bell

When Elaine and Alan Bell left for a short Easter break their home was as always in an "immaculate" condition.

Unfortunately they trusted 17-year-old daughter Rachael to keep it that way.

The next day the houseproud parents returned to a scene of utter devastation.

"The house has been raped - totally violated," said mother-of-four Mrs Bell as she surveyed the carnage.

In what appears to have been a carefully planned operation, Rachael hosted a "Skins" party attended by around 200 teenagers from across the country while her parents and younger siblings were at the seaside in their caravan.

Details of the party on Monday evening were advertised on her MySpace internet site under the heading: "Let's trash the average family-sized house disco party."

And that's exactly what happened.

In keeping with the Channel 4 teenage drama series Skins, there were scenes of drunken debauchery, mayhem and "people getting stoned."

Party house

The partygoers caused around £20,000 damage, stole cash and jewellery, wrecked clothes (including the mother's wedding dress) and even ripped light fittings out of the ceiling.

As the party continued into the early hours police received numerous calls from residents of the well-to-do cul-de-sac in Houghton Le Spring, near Sunderland, about the noise and mayhem, with revellers even clambering into neighbouring gardens.

According to Mrs Bell, a primary school teacher, her £230,000 home has been left uninhabitable.

Hardly surprisingly the parents are not on speaking terms with their teenage daughter, who has fled what is left of the family nest to stay with friends.

Mrs Bell would even like to see her arrested over the damage.

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"Rachael knew that no-one is allowed in the house when we are away and definitely no parties are allowed. It makes me physically sick when I go in the house.

"Rachael has broken my trust and I don't think I want her back in the house. My other children have been crying and in pieces because of this. All their stuff is ruined."

Clearly devastated, Mrs Bell was in tears as she spoke about every parent's nightmare.

"My wedding dress that has been hanging up for 20 years with a cover on it to keep it clean has been destroyed. Someone has urinated on it and I think someone has even been wearing it.

"I'm devastated. I can't eat or sleep or get my mind off it.

"They just disgust me - whoever's come in here and done this are animals with no respect or thought for anyone."

No room has been left untouched.

A sign on Rachael's bedroom states "bog off boys", yet condoms were found strewn on the floor.

The bathroom sink was filled with plates, cups and vomit and the shower was full of empty bottles.

The living room floor littered with cigarette ends, ash and empty cans.

There were black marks running up the stairway walls.

In the youngest daughter's room a mirror was smashed, clothes thrown out of the cupboard and Rachel's younger brother had his sports clothes covered in dye because "they didn't like chavs".

Another room contained dozens of discarded BB gun pellets.

The only sign of tidying up was a dust pan half filled with crisp packets.

Mr Bell said: "We have spoken to Rachel on the phone but she has so much remorse that we heard that she was out again the next night. She said she didn't mean for this to happen and there were a lot of people there that she didn't know.

"It beggars belief, I don't know why the police couldn't stop this."

Neighbours said seven police cars - including a dog unit - were despatched to the usually quiet street and officers stayed until the party ended around 3 am.

An internet blog account of the party by a 16-year-old called Luca revealed how "everyone was either drinking, smoking, dancing or getting stoned" and police arrived after a neighbour ran into the house and started to "kick people out."

He added: "Most people had to leave all their belongings in the house or in the locked garage, and to move towards a massive field opposite the house.

"Soon after, many people were trying to get back into the house and start the party again BUT were disappointed to find that the police had surrounded the house and were setting dogs across the field to savage anyone on it."

He finished the blog with the comment: "The girl who held the party RACHAEL will be slated for many years after last night.

"I don't think she understood what would have actually happened when she was having a house party publicised on myspace."

Revellers came from as far as London. One neighbour said "hundreds of kids piled out of cars and minibuses."

"When you see somebody getting out of a taxi with a suitcase full of alcohol it sets the alarm bells ringing," she said.

A Durham Police spokesman defended the actions of officers and said it would have been

"completely unrealistic" to "forcibly" break up the party.

"This was a private house party which got out of hand despite the organisers' attempts to control the event.

"Our main priority on the night was to respond to the many complaints from neighbours, but officers also tried to assist those who were trying to leave the area by providing the details of local taxi firms."