Discussions ongoing over whether to allow drug testing at V Festival
Discussions are being held to decide whether a drug testing tent will be introduced at V Festival, police have revealed.
For the first time this summer, Reading and Leeds Festivals and a number of other live music events are aiming to introduce the testing of illegal drugs for attendees with the support of local police forces.
The pioneering scheme was revealed yesterday by Melvin Benn, head of Live Nation subsidiary Festival Republic, which also organises V Festival.
He expects it to be introduced at “between six and 10 festivals this year”.
Staffordshire Police says it has been approached about introducing it at V Festival, held annually at Weston Park on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border, and discussions were taking place.
Mike Lowe, spokesman for the force, said: "We have been approached and our officers are discussing it with Festival Republic to identify if V in Staffordshire is an appropriate location for this service.
"At this stage discussions are ongoing so no decision has been made."
Mr Benn, who also organises Latitude, Wireless and a host of other events, has been working on the plan since last summer and is awaiting confirmation of support from West Yorkshire Police and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Festival-goers will be able to take their drugs to a testing tent run by The Loop, an organisation which usually conducts forensic testing of drugs seized by police.
They will then tell them what is in the drugs before destroying whatever was handed over to them.
Last year, The Loop ran the scheme for the first time at a UK music festival when around 200 revellers tested their illegal drugs at Secret Garden Party in Cambridgeshire.
