'˜Cultural change' needed to see drugs-testing brought into festivals, says Mutiny's founder

KIT to test drugs should be the subject of a '˜wider conversation' between the festival industry and authorities.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th May 2018, 07:00 BST

Updated 19th Jun 2018, 16:29 BST

That is the view of Luke Betts, Mutiny Festival founder, after two people – 18-year-old Georgia Jones and dad-of-one Tommy Cowan, 20 – died after falling unwell in non-suspicious circumstances 20 minutes apart on Saturday.

'˜We're devastated but nothing compares to Georgia and Tommy's families' loss' '...

Mr Betts said he was already talking to The Loop, which advocates drugs-testing kits at music events.

He said: ‘There’s a huge amount of back and forth with authorities and the industry.

‘You see Reading and Leeds tried to bring it in and couldn’t. It definitely feels like we’re on the front of a cultural change, 100 per cent.

‘The industry and authorities need to have a wider conversation.’

He added: ‘That needs to happen.’

There were no drugs-testing sites at Mutiny Festival on Saturday.

Leeds