Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading will have drug testing

Drug investigating volition spell up astatine Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading Festivals, organisers person said.

There were fears the work wouldn't beryllium astatine UK festivals this twelvemonth aft it was missing from Manchester's Parklife.

But Glastonbury and Festival Republic, which runs events including Leeds and Reading, accidental they'll person "back-of-house" investigating arsenic usual.

The representation for smaller events which antecedently relied connected a foundation to transportation retired their tests isn't truthful clear.

One lawsuit that says it decidedly won't person cause investigating this twelvemonth is the Secret Garden Party (SGP).

This is wherever radical tin person drugs checked to marque definite they're harmless - but the past clip it happened astatine UK festivals was successful 2018.

Since then, events person utilized back-of-house investigating - wherever confiscated oregon surrendered drugs are checked down the scenes and alerts sent retired if problems are found.

SGP brag Freddie Fellowes tells BBC Newsbeat it was owed to instrumentality to his festival this year, but present that won't beryllium happening.

The concern is akin to Parklife, which had planned to person tests successful spot but ditched them 48 hours earlier the event.

Founder of the Manchester event, Sacha Lord, said helium was told a peculiar licence would beryllium needed this year, and blamed a authorities "u-turn".

But the Home Office, which is successful complaint of policing and drugs policy, says thing has changed.

Glastonbury Festival says it volition beryllium carrying retired back-of-house investigating "on drugs which person been surrendered oregon seized" this year, arsenic they usually do.

"The results of these tests are utilized to pass due healthcare messaging," it told Newsbeat.

And Festival Republic Boss Melvin Benn told BBC Radio Berkshire helium was "confident" Leeds and Reading's investigating arrangements "meet each the authorities requirements".

Newsbeat's been told that bigger festivals usage backstage companies to bash their testing.

But smaller festivals person antecedently utilized The Loop - a drugs foundation - to execute their tests.

The bosses of Parklife and SGP some told BBC Newsbeat that they'd been capable to bash this done agreements with constabulary and section councils.

Regulations successful spot since 2001 authorities that cause investigating providers request to person a licence.

But festivals accidental this is the archetypal twelvemonth that they've been told they'll request a abstracted licence - and that getting 1 could instrumentality 3 months.

And Freddie says this isn't capable clip for SGP - which is being held from 20 to 23 July.

"We are present successful a presumption wherever harm simplification has been acceptable backmost by implicit 10 years," says Freddie.

"Let's conscionable beryllium truly honest, radical bash instrumentality recreational drugs. And there's thing that I arsenic a festival organiser tin bash to alteration that."

Freddie says the deficiency of investigating astatine SGP this twelvemonth means the festival "will beryllium responding by upping the magnitude of eyes and ears we person retired connected welfare".

He feels there's a deficiency of wide guidance and a "complete unwillingness from the Home Office to engage" successful the speech with anyone connected the beforehand lines.

A Home Office spokesperson says: "Our presumption hasn't changed. Drug investigating providers indispensable person a licence to trial for controlled drugs, including astatine festivals.

"We person consistently made this information clear, and instrumentality enforcement person ever had a work to uphold this ineligible requirement.

"We proceed to support an unfastened dialog with immoderate imaginable applicants.

"Festivals aiming to trial drugs disconnected their tract this summertime indispensable enactment with the constabulary and a Home Office-licensed drug-testing provider".

Sacha Lord's told Newsbeat he's gathering lawyers and different festival bosses to sermon taking the Home Office to court.

The Loop told Newsbeat it couldn't comment.

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