Deaths of man and woman not being treated as suspicious, say Hampshire police
Mutiny festival cancelled over 'dangerous substance' as two die on site
A music festival in Portsmouth has been cancelled after an 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man died after falling ill on Saturday night.
The deaths at the Mutiny festival are being seen as separate incidents and are not being treated as suspicious, but Hampshire police said inquiries were being made to determine the circumstances.
Dizzee Rascal, Craig David and Sean Paul were due to top the bill at the two-day event. But on Sunday organisers issued a statement cancelling the event after warning of a “dangerous high strength or bad batch substance on site”.
The announcement, which organisers said was a “safety precaution”, prompted demands for refunds from disappointed customers on social media.
Police were first alerted when the woman fell ill at the site on Cosham at 7.10pm on Saturday, while the man was found collapsed at 7.30pm.
Both were taken to the Queen Alexandra hospital where they later died. Police said next-of-kin for both people been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
A statement posted on the music festival’s social media accounts said: “Mutiny Festivals are devastated to hear of the tragic loss of life from its festival family today.”
It later added: “Following the terrible news from earlier today, the team behind Mutiny Festival are incredibly sad to announce that the Sunday of the festival has been cancelled as a safety precaution.
“The safety of our amazing customers has always been paramount to us and so to keep everyone safe and in respect to those who have passed, we have taken the decision not to open today.
“As you can imagine, this decision was not taken lightly and was taken with the support of the local statutory authorities who we continue to work with.”
The organisers also urged customers to “responsibly dispose” of any substances.
Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
The force said next-of-kin for both the woman and the man had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers.
The Mutiny Festival in Portsmouth has been cancelled as a "safety precaution" after the death of an 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man.
The deaths are being treated as separate incidents and are not being treated as suspicious. However, Hampshire Constabulary said inquiries were being made to determine the circumstances.
Organisers said on Saturday night they were aware of "dangerous high strength or bad batch" of drugs on site.
The popular dance music festival said in a statement: "Following the terrible news from earlier today, the team behind Mutiny Festival are incredibly sad to announce that the Sunday of the festival has been cancelled as a safety precaution.
"The safety of our amazing customers has always been paramount to us and so to keep everyone safe and in respect to those who have passed, we have taken the decision not to open today. As you can imagine, this decision was not taken lightly and was taken with the support of the local statutory authorities who we continue to work with.
"Enquiries are being made into the circumstances of what has happened, but we must reiterate our advice to all our customers to responsibly dispose of any substances.
"More information will follow when available, we appreciate your understanding at this difficult time."
Image copyright Mutiny Festivals Image caption Organisers announced on Facebook that the festival had been cancelled on Sunday "as a safety precaution"
Two young people have died after falling ill at a dance music festival in Hampshire.
An 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man died in separate incidents at Mutiny Festival in Portsmouth.
Hampshire Police said the deaths at the festival site in King George V Playing Fields, Cosham, were not being treated as suspicious.
Organisers have cancelled the festival on Sunday "as a safety precaution".
A statement on Facebook read: "The safety of our amazing customers has always been paramount to us and so to keep everyone safe and in respect to those who have passed, we have taken the decision not to open today."
The decision "was not taken lightly" and had been supported by "the local statutory authorities," it added.
Earlier, the festival had issued a "harm prevention alert" apparently warning about the use of drugs.
The message to festivalgoers described a "dangerous high-strength or bad-batch substance on site".
Police were alerted to the woman falling ill at 19:10 BST on Saturday, and the man was found collapsed about 20 minutes later.
Both were taken to the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, where they later died.
Organisers said on social media that they were "devastated" about the deaths.
In a statement, Hampshire Police said: "The deaths are being treated as separate incidents at this stage. They are not being treated as suspicious but inquiries are being made to determine the circumstances of what happened in each case."
The force said next-of-kin had been informed and relatives were being supported by specialist officers.
"Inquiries are being made into the circumstances of what has happened, but we must reiterate our advice to all our customers to responsibly dispose of any substances," the statement added.
Last year, Hampshire Police called for the minimum entry age to the festival to be increased after reports of sex assaults, drug use and fighting.
The force urged Portsmouth City Council to ban anyone under 18 in an effort to reduce crime.
It followed reports that children as young as 13 were being allowed to attend.
Organisers said there had been "revised entry procedures" for this year's event.
The two-day festival features artists performing electronic music including drum 'n' bass, garage and hip hop.
Dizzee Rascal, Craig David and Sean Paul are among the big names at the event ending on Sunday.
Following the terrible news from earlier today, the team behind Mutiny Festival are incredibly sad to announce that the Sunday of the festival has been cancelled as a safety precaution.
The safety of our amazing customers has always been paramount to us and so to keep everyone safe and in respect to those who have passed, we have taken the decision not to open today. As you can imagine, this decision was not taken lightly and was taken with the support of the local statutory authorities who we continue to work with.
Enquiries are being made into the circumstances of what has happened, but we must reiterate our advice to all our customers to responsibly dispose of any substances.
More information will follow when available, we appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.
