Police have uncovered a large stash of drugs buried beneath the Creamfields festival site in Daresbury, Cheshire, ahead of the event’s opening over the Bank Holiday weekend.
The haul was found in holdalls during searches of the grounds by officers and specialist teams. It included 204 canisters of nitrous oxide, along with large bags containing ecstasy, MDMA and ketamine tablets.
The discovery highlights the lengths to which some people have gone to conceal drugs before arriving at the festival. Police said dealers had previously buried packages months in advance, intending to retrieve them after the site had been built and the event was under way.
Police warn over Creamfields drug stash searches
Superintendent Andy Blizard, who is overseeing the policing operation, said officers had spent considerable time combing the festival grounds before the gates opened.
He said police reminded festivalgoers every year that Creamfields operated a zero-tolerance policy on drugs, but still encountered people attempting to conceal substances or place them underground in advance.
“Our specialist search teams have spent a considerable amount of time combing the grounds of the Creamfields site ahead of the festival’s opening later this week,” Mr Blizard said.
Officers also issued an unusual invitation to anyone who had buried a rucksack or holdall and wanted it returned. Police said they had started enquiries to identify the owners and would be interested in speaking to them.
Mr Blizard warned that further searches were expected to uncover more items, leaving those who had hidden drugs disappointed when they returned to retrieve them. The Creamfields drug stash was found before the expected arrival of about 80,000 electronic dance music fans, many of whom are known for wearing bucket hats at the festival.
Previous MDMA case at the festival
The latest discovery follows a case involving a woman who was stopped while trying to enter Creamfields last year. Sian Bullock, 35, was searched at the north gate after a sniffer dog alerted towards her.
Officers found 64 MDMA tablets, valued at up to £630, concealed inside two Kinder Egg containers hidden inside her body. Bullock, a mother of four, told officers she did not know what the drugs were and said she had bought them for personal use.
She pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and was sentenced to three years.
Police have not provided a value for the substances found beneath the site this year, nor have they announced arrests linked to the buried bags. The items were recovered during preparations for the festival rather than at an entrance checkpoint.
Festival brings disruption for some residents
Creamfields is being held at Daresbury Estate for the 20th year. The festival’s line-up over the Bank Holiday includes Armand Van Helden, Becky Hill, Fatboy Slim and Underworld.
While the event attracts tens of thousands of fans, some local residents have complained about the disruption caused by its arrival. Concerns have included queues of cars stretching for 10 miles and intoxicated festivalgoers allegedly attempting to enter residents’ gardens.
Some people living nearby have said the disruption has made them leave the normally quiet Cheshire village during the festival. Resident Ian Brittain told the BBC that the event caused chaos and said residents felt like prisoners in their own homes and were afraid to leave.
Against that background, the Creamfields drug stash is likely to add to the focus on policing and security around the site. Officers have urged anyone with hidden bags to contact them, while searches are continuing ahead of the festival’s opening.
Police said they expected to find further quantities concealed around the grounds and warned that items left there would no longer be waiting for those who buried them when they returned.
Source: Metro News
