Three people have been arrested for organising an illegal bingo evening at a cafe in Helmond, according to local broadcaster Omroep Brabant.

Some 80 people had just started playing bingo in the De Herbergh cafe on Wednesday evening when police entered the building and ordered everyone to leave, Omroep Brabant reports.

‘I was totally shocked,’ said one 60-year-old who had just paid €10 for a bingo book. ‘In come 10 police officers and we all had to go out. The organisers had not got a permit and the police took all the money we had paid away with them.’

The cafe has been closed down temporarily because since the arrests there is no one in charge. The three people, aged 40, 41 and 31, are still being held in police custody.

In the Netherlands it is illegal to organise bingo evenings without local authority permission. Only registered associations are allowed to do so and the prize money cannot be more than €400 per game.