Police go soft on drugs at music festivals

PoLICe chiefs plan to let revellers at some of the UK’s biggest summer music festivals test their drugs before taking them without fear of arrest.

Forces have backed the controversial move in a bid to save lives after a spate of drug-related deaths at such events.

Three police services have signed up and at least one other is expected to follow, with drug test tents at up to ten festivals this year, including Reading and Leeds.

Festival-goers will be able to hand over a sample of their drugs – which may have been bought at the site from a dealer they do not know – and find out within 30 minutes what it contains. Users then have a 15minute talk with an nHs nurse or doctor.

A survey of officers who police festivals found that 81 per cent backed drug tests.

The national Police Chiefs Council has written to all chiefs in recent weeks to ensure arrangements for testing facilities are being worked out with prosecutors.

But David Raynes of the national Drug Prevention Alliance said: ‘It sends the message that drugs are safe, even if they could still harm someone. This has not been thought through with the clarity I would have expected from chief officers.’

When piloted at two festivals last year, 1,000 people used the free service, including a woman who wanted to know what had put her in hospital only hours earlier.

melvin Benn, head of Live nation subsidiary Festival Republic, which organises Latitude, Wireless and a host of other events, said it expects the testing tents to be at ‘between six and ten festivals this year’.

The scheme is backed by Cambridgeshire, Cumbria and Greater manchester’s forces. mr Benn is awaiting confirmation of support from West Yorkshire Police.

In a pilot of 250 tests, experts found dealers were peddling powder made up of 100 per cent concrete dust as cocaine.

Pills contained boric acid, an insecticide, which can cause vomiting and in severe cases death.

Yesterday, Durham chief constable michael Barton said: ‘If we can save lives by getting people to test their drugs, I do not see this as harmful as long as people do not take this as support for drug taking.’