Police have uncovered a large stash of drugs and more than 200 cannisters of nitrous oxide buried underground and hidden at the site of the Creamfields dance music festival. The haul, described by police as a 'sizeable quantity', included 'large bags' containing ecstasy, MDMA and ketamine tablets, along with 204 cannisters of nitrous oxide.
Pre-Event Searches Uncover Hidden Drugs
Specialist officers were involved in pre-event searches and digs at the site on the Daresbury estate in Cheshire. The searches are part of the force's pre-event disruption work, which involves a number of searches of the site area carried out by specialist officers. These searches will continue in the run up to the event, as part of the police's commitment to making it as safe as possible for visitors.
Creamfields will run over the bank holiday weekend, with up to 80,000 music fans expected to attend. Cheshire Police shared images of bags of drugs seized and the haul of cannisters, laid out on a tarpaulin.
Police Expect to Find More
In a statement, police said: "As part of the pre-event disruption work, a number of searches of the site area are carried out by specialist officers. These searches will continue in the run up to the event, as part of the police's commitment to making it as safe as possible for visitors.
"The first week of pre-event searches of the grounds concluded with officers uncovering a sizeable quantity of class A, B and C drugs that had been hidden and buried at the festival site. This find included approximately 204 cannisters of nitrous oxide, as well as large bags containing ecstasy, MDMA and ketamine tablets being recovered."
The force said it 'fully expects' to find more hidden drugs. Superintendent Andy Blizard, who is overseeing the Creamfields policing operation, said: "Every year we remind those attending Creamfields that there is a zero-tolerance policy regarding drugs and, every year, we counter a number of brazen individuals who think they can outstart us by concealing drugs from view or burying them at the site months in advance.
"Our specialist search teams have spent a considerable amount of time combing the grounds of the Creamfields site ahead of festival's opening later this week. We fully expect to find further quantities as our searches continues, leaving many of those who chose to bury these items very much disappointed to find them no longer where left them when they arrive at the festival do dig them back up.
"Anyone who has buried a rucksack or hold-all bag at the site and would like it back is asked to get in contact with us - officers have already begun conducting enquiries to identify their owners and look forward to speaking to them soon."
