Cocaine in Glastonbury river ‘harming wildlife’

ILLEGAL drugs taken at Glastonbury festival are leaking into a nearby river and poisoning wildlife, a study has found.

Substances are at levels high enough to harm European eels, a critically endangered species.

It is thought MDMA, the chemical name for ecstasy, and cocaine are entering the river Whitelake as they run off the land from public urination. The results in the journal Environmental Research found ecstasy present in the water all year, suggesting it has built up in the soil, but during the festival levels quadruple.

Bangor University scientists took samples before, during and after the last event in 2019. Glastonbury said it will continue to strongly discourage urinating on the land.