Victory for Wickerman af ter police lose bid to ban spirits
Licensing board kicks out drink curbs at music festival
AS music festivals go, it would be hard to find one with a gentler, more family-friendly image.
The Wickerman Festival is held in a remote corner of Kirkcudbrightshire and attracts a l aid- back, l argely middle-class crowd to enjoy a weekend of live music and entertainment.
So supporters of the event, which this year is headlined by Del Amitri, were incensed when Police Scotland recommended strict conditions restricting the sale of alcohol.
Under the proposals, festival-goers would have been unable to buy a gin and tonic or whisky from on-site bars as only beer, lager or wine would be available.
Last orders would have been at midnight rather than 2am and people buying rounds would have been restricted to two drinks at a time.
The recommendations were made on behalf of Stephen House, chief constable of Police Scotland, to combat alcoholrelated crime – even though the festival, now in its 13th year, has always passed off peacefully.
Yesterday many of the proposed restrictions were rejected by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s licensing board.
George Prentice, convener of the Stewartry divisional licensing board, said: ‘The festival has never been a problem in the past. We are now working with Police Scotland rather than Dumfries and Galloway, which maybe has an effect.’
Nearly 20,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival in Dundrennan on July
‘City boys trying to inflict city rules’
25 and 26 to enjoy performances from Dizzee Rascal and Shed Seven.
A traditional wicker man will be burned in homage to the 1970s horror film starring Edward Woodward, which was shot in the area.
Last year police praised the good behaviour of people at the f estival and the ‘ l ow number of arrests’.
After the licensing meeting, festival founder Jamie Gilroy said: ‘We are relieved that most of the points raised were unanimously overturned by a local committee, who have a solid understanding of the festival.
‘The decision has granted Wickerman the licence to serve the same alcohol we have always stocked and is standard for events of similar size and audience profile.
‘Wickerman is a festival about music, however we are also keen to ensure that our guests can enjoy food and drink to suit their taste while on-site.
‘We are focused on staging another fantastic festival for thousands of fans.’
Thanks to the licensing board decision, music fans will be able to drink spirits and visit the bar until 2am. A police proposal for single queues at the bars was also rejected.
The five bars at the festival only accept pre- purchased tokens rather than cash, with each drink costing two tokens.
Police Scotland had wanted drinkers to be able to buy only four tokens at a time but people will not now be limited in how many they can buy.
Mr Prentice said: ‘We thought that was a bit of a nonsense. They talk about it being a family event but if you had a grandfather who wants to buy a drink for his children and grandchildren and he goes to queue up for tokens, he would only have been able to buy four, so two drinks.
‘We thought that will not do. If he wants to be able to buy 20 tokens, he should be able to buy 20 tokens.’
Tom McAughtrie, a Labour councillor who is on the licensing board but was unable to attend the meeting, said the Police Scotland approach had been aimed at revellers in cities rather than a rural festival.
He added: ‘It is city boys trying to inflict the rules you would have to have in Glasgow.’
Superintendent Michael Leslie of Police Scotland said the force was committed to protecting festival-goers.
He added: ‘The Wickerman Festival has a very low incidence of crime but where incidents do occur, almost all people arrested were drunk when they committed the offence or targeted victims who were vulnerable through intoxication.
‘Police Scotland is working with the organiser, using conditions imposed by the licensing board, to keep people safe by reducing vulnerability and targeting those who attempt to prey on others.’