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10:00am Thursday 12th March 2009 in News By Naomi Loomes
Bosses of a music festival which attracts thousands of people to Sussex have been ordered to stick to nearly 100 strict conditions.
Organisers of the Beachdown Festival have been told to improve security and ensure that live music stops at 11pm after police raised a series of concerns.
Up to 10,000 revellers will be banned from taking alcohol into the site while bar staff will ask for ID from anyone they believe to be under 25.
The 95 conditions were imposed on Beachdown, which is held over the August bank holiday at Devil's Dyke, after licencing meetings with Mid Sussex District Council.
Festival bosses said the conditions were not unusual and the event would go ahead as planned.
But Jean Irving, Sussex Police’s licensing and public safety manager, warned that officers would not hesitate to close the event following a number of incidents last year.
She said: “The police will not shrink from closing it down before it even gets started if public safety or any of these things are compromised."
Sussex police said the conditions are required after last year's festival because organisers had not finished constructing the arena by the time festival-goers started arriving, meaning environmental health officers could not inspect and sign the safety certificate.
Meanwhile about 4,000 people jumped over the fence to gain entry, meaning 50% more people were at the festival than was predicted.
As a result conditions imposed on organisers this year include more security at entry points, the site being reduced by a third, a £50,800 bill for policing, to be paid six weeks in advance and one in 20 people to be searched on entry.
Acts this year include Grace Jones, The Zutons and Super Furry Animals.
Organiser Joe Pidgeon was not phased by the development.
He told The Argus: "We are as concerned with health and safety as the police.
"The fencing at this year's festival will be a solid shield field rather than the wire fencing we had last year.
"It's true the site wasn't complete by the time people started arriving, but we were dealing with horrific weather conditions and this year we have given ourselves an extra week to set up.
"There will be a dedicated 10,000 gallon tanker of water for the fire brigade and we have also spent £10,000 on a private fire brigade as we did last year.
"There are lots of positive changes for Beachdown 2009 - the site of the performance field has been reduced but the camping area is bigger and although we have an 11pm cut off for live music we have two extra hours or non live music and bar licences which will go on until 4am."
For more information about the event, which is held between August 28 and 31 and to buy tickets, go to www.beachdownfestival.com
Comments(17)
Pontop Pike
says...
12:46pm Thu 12 Mar 09
pun master
says...
1:53pm Thu 12 Mar 09
bibble wrote:STFU!
Yet again the police involve themselves. And as usual the police, with their built-in criminal elements, are ready to jump on the first transgression and will "not hesitate" to shut down the festival. Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion. A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.
kumquat
says...
2:05pm Thu 12 Mar 09
censored
says...
2:39pm Thu 12 Mar 09
Pontop Pike
says...
3:04pm Thu 12 Mar 09
bibble wrote:Complete pr1ck!
Yet again the police involve themselves. And as usual the police, with their built-in criminal elements, are ready to jump on the first transgression and will "not hesitate" to shut down the festival. Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion. A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.
bibble
says...
3:31pm Thu 12 Mar 09
pun master wrote:Well, if you use your brains for two seconds you will realise that the police are not "ensuring public safety".
bibble wrote:STFU!
Yet again the police involve themselves. And as usual the police, with their built-in criminal elements, are ready to jump on the first transgression and will "not hesitate" to shut down the festival. Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion. A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.
The police are simply ensuring public safety.
Nobhead
bibble
says...
3:33pm Thu 12 Mar 09
Pontop Pike wrote:Prove me wrong, instead of calling me names.
bibble wrote:Complete pr1ck!
Yet again the police involve themselves. And as usual the police, with their built-in criminal elements, are ready to jump on the first transgression and will "not hesitate" to shut down the festival. Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion. A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.
Though having Grace Jones on the bill, i cant see that much argee bargee from the dungaree, hearing aid, tuppence licking mob.
pun master
says...
4:47pm Thu 12 Mar 09
bibble wrote:And if you read the planning condition properly you will see it is not the police carrying out the stop and search at the entrance, it is the on site security. And whilst it is easy for people for you to talk about the police being useless, slovenly etc, it is also the police that would be the first to go searching for missing children, step in the way of danger to protect the public and also are the ones who have to help scrape dead bodies up off of the road, train lines etc. Yes there are bad police officers, but there are just as many bad builders, accountants, lifeguards, shop assistants etc etc. The truth is that the vast majority of law-abiding citizens have nothing but respect for police officers and the work they do. Consider the fact that they are working in some appalling conditions, like many public sector workers, being under-resourced, under pressure from a ridiculous target culture and having to deal with awful levels of serious crimes... And if you are so determined to change them, I suggest you sign up as a special constable and show them all how it's done.
pun master wrote:Well, if you use your brains for two seconds you will realise that the police are not "ensuring public safety".
bibble wrote:STFU!
Yet again the police involve themselves. And as usual the police, with their built-in criminal elements, are ready to jump on the first transgression and will "not hesitate" to shut down the festival. Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion. A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.
The police are simply ensuring public safety.
Nobhead
In TARGETED stop and searches, they achieved a 98% failure rate! So stopping 1 in 20, purely as a quota, will achieve nothing.
Yes, the police need to pull their socks up. It is people like you who let them get away with their atrocious performance.
The police have a lot to answer for. They are rude, slovenly, useless, and in many cases criminal.
Pontop Pike
says...
5:11pm Thu 12 Mar 09
bibble
says...
5:17pm Thu 12 Mar 09
pun master wrote:It is the police who demanded these conditions from the toothless and compliant licencing committee.
bibble wrote:And if you read the planning condition properly you will see it is not the police carrying out the stop and search at the entrance, it is the on site security. And whilst it is easy for people for you to talk about the police being useless, slovenly etc, it is also the police that would be the first to go searching for missing children, step in the way of danger to protect the public and also are the ones who have to help scrape dead bodies up off of the road, train lines etc. Yes there are bad police officers, but there are just as many bad builders, accountants, lifeguards, shop assistants etc etc. The truth is that the vast majority of law-abiding citizens have nothing but respect for police officers and the work they do. Consider the fact that they are working in some appalling conditions, like many public sector workers, being under-resourced, under pressure from a ridiculous target culture and having to deal with awful levels of serious crimes... And if you are so determined to change them, I suggest you sign up as a special constable and show them all how it's done.
pun master wrote:Well, if you use your brains for two seconds you will realise that the police are not "ensuring public safety".
bibble wrote:STFU!
Yet again the police involve themselves. And as usual the police, with their built-in criminal elements, are ready to jump on the first transgression and will "not hesitate" to shut down the festival. Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion. A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.
The police are simply ensuring public safety.
Nobhead
In TARGETED stop and searches, they achieved a 98% failure rate! So stopping 1 in 20, purely as a quota, will achieve nothing.
Yes, the police need to pull their socks up. It is people like you who let them get away with their atrocious performance.
The police have a lot to answer for. They are rude, slovenly, useless, and in many cases criminal.
Again, Nobhead...
bibble
says...
5:18pm Thu 12 Mar 09
Pontop Pike wrote:You can't prove me wrong. Perhaps you are a polieman and want guilt to based on your suspicion alone?
Oh dear Bibbl, dont let it worry you. Those of us in the "inner circle" get shot down from time to time.
Just let it wash over your head.
The Jolly Roger
says...
5:53pm Thu 12 Mar 09
bibble wrote:Pontop and Slug are both sales reps for different companies, Albert Chisholm is a mechanic, I am a metalurgic engineer but i`m not sure about some of the others.
Pontop Pike wrote: Oh dear Bibbl, dont let it worry you. Those of us in the "inner circle" get shot down from time to time. Just let it wash over your head.You can't prove me wrong. Perhaps you are a polieman and want guilt to based on your suspicion alone?
Scoomer
says...
11:43pm Thu 12 Mar 09
captbaz
says...
1:38am Fri 13 Mar 09
Acheron
says...
7:26am Sat 14 Mar 09
Osama bin there
says...
3:29pm Sat 14 Mar 09
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bibble says...
10:12am Thu 12 Mar 09
Then searching 1 in 20 people, without any suspicion. Just a round quota number, which is something the police understand all too well. Remember the news article of the police stopping and searching 50 people at Brighton Railway Station? 1 person had drugs. A 98% failure rate. And that was based on suspicion.
A message to Jean Irving of Sussex Police: clean out your own stables first. Don't hesitate to stop and search 1 in 20 of your officers. Without suspicion, just as a quota.