70,000 people expected at Creamfields
AROUND 70,000 revellers are expected to descend on Daresbury this Bank Holiday weekend for the annual Creamfields music festival.
It is returning to the outskirts of Runcorn for the 14th consecutive year.
The event will take place over four days from today, Thursday, August 22, to Sunday, August 25.
A Cheshire police spokesman said the force works closely with the event organisers, local authorities, parish councils and other agencies as part of the planning process to ensure that the festival runs safely and smoothly and minimises disruption to nearby residents.
Within the site officers will be present to prevent incidents of crime and disorder and to support the security staff.
There will be surrender bins placed at the festival’s entrances for any drugs and weapons to be deposited – with those attending warned that any items discovered after this point face the prospect of being arrested.
Off site, officers will be involved with traffic management and policing in the surrounding areas.
Superintendent Debbie Hooper, who is leading the policing operation for the event, said: “We always spend months planning for Creamfields to ensure that we are as prepared as possible.
“As always our main priorities are to ensure that everyone at Creamfields enjoys the event safely and to minimise the disruption for residents during the festival.
“Security will be as tight as ever and any form of crime and disorder will not be tolerated by the officers in and around the festival site in Daresbury.”
Officers from both Runcorn and Warrington Local Policing Units will be working throughout the course of the weekend to deal with any issues that arise relating to the festival, to minimise any disruption to residents and to reassure members of the public.
A clearly signposted welfare tent will be located in the arena, near the north entrance.
Festivalgoers can go there to report incidents to officers at any point over the duration of the event.
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Superintendent Hooper added: “The event organisers will again have drugs dogs working at entrance points.
“Various other security measures will be in place and all festivalgoers will be searched prior to being granted entry.
“They will have the opportunity to deposit any weapons or drugs in surrender bins placed at the entrances.
“Anyone who is subsequently found in possession of such items, having not placed them into the bins, will be arrested and made to face the consequences of their actions.
“My advice to anyone considering bringing weapons or drugs to the event is ... don’t.”
Cheshire police and crime commissioner David Keane said: “I understand the impact this event has on the local community, but I am pleased to see that officers – working alongside partner organisations – are again doing everything they can to keep this disruption to a minimum, and are taking steps to help festivalgoers enjoy themselves without putting themselves or others at risk.
“This is one of the biggest events in the calendar for Cheshire Constabulary and I am grateful to the officers who work tirelessly in and around the event site in Daresbury over the Bank Holiday weekend each year.”
For more information about this year’s festival visit www.creamfields.com