Men held for drug dealing after deaths at festival

Police have arrested three men on suspicion of drug dealing after two people died at a music festival.

Two 20-year-old men and a 22-year-old man, all from the south coast of England, have been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, Hampshire Police said.

The news comes after Tommy Cowan, 20, and Georgia Jones, 18, both from Havant, were named as those who died after falling ill at Mutiny Festival in Portsmouth on Saturday night.

They were among 15 revellers admitted to hospital from the event that night, with organisers issuing a warning of a “high strength or bad batch” of drugs.

The second day of the festival, which Craig David and Sean Paul were due to headline, was cancelled as a “safety precaution”. A spokeswoman for the hospital said it was believed they were admitted after falling ill from the effects of drugs. Another person remains in a critical condition.

The organisers of the festival urged customers to “responsibly dispose” of any substances.

Sean Paul paid his respects to the loved ones of the pair who died, as did Craig David, who tweeted: “My heart goes out to the family and friends of the two young people who lost their lives.”