Dad demands inquiry after family ‘left in dark’ over T in Park death

Father wants answers after teenager collapsed and died at Strathallan festival

The grieving father of a teenager who died at T in the Park is demanding an inquiry into her death.

Megan Bell died in the early hours of Friday July 8 after collapsing in the festival’s Slam dance tent. The 17-yearold, from Seaham in County Durham, is believed to have died after taking drugs.

Her father, Christopher, said his family had been “left in the dark”. Mr Bell, 44, said: “It is unexplained. “We know she was at the festival, we know that she didn’t take drugs, it wasn’t part of Megan’s life.”

He said: “But she was there, she may have experimented or she could have been spiked.

“This is devastating. We will never come to terms with it. It’s heartbreaking, not knowing what happened or what she went through and not being there for her is the hardest thing we will ever have to get through.”

Megan had first gone to T in the Park last year, when the festival moved to Strathallan Castle. Megan told her dad afterwards that drugs were “freely available” at the event.

“One of the last things she said to me before she went up there this year was: ‘Dad, last year they were walking about with raincoats with drugs inside their coat. They opened them up when you were pitching your tent and saying ‘what do you want? Do you want this and that?’

“It’s clearly freely available. They say they do checks at the doors, but it’s obvious not enough of that is happening.”

The dad-of-four added: “If it (next year’s festival) does go ahead, we will fight tooth and nail to make sure there are adequate provisions at the next one, to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

“We think there should be, without a shadow of a doubt, an investigation into what happened before they organise anything else.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said: “Enjoying a music festival and taking drugs are not one and the same, and it is important that young people, who are often enjoying their first festival, are fully aware of the deadly consequences of drug use.” jabuchan@thecourier.co.uk

We will fight tooth and nail to make sure … this doesn’t happen to anyone else. CHRISTOPHER BELL