Can't stop the music

Jul 6 2007

MUSIC fans attending T in the Park this weekend are being asked to remain vigilant in the wake of the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport.

With around 80,000 festival-goers expected to roll-up for the Balado extravaganza, which starts today, police have warned those attending to expect more stringent safety checks than usual with the terror threat to the UK still rated as severe.

Chief Superintendent Matt Hamilton said Tayside Police had increased its activities in the wake of recent incidents in London and Glasgow in common with other forces in Scotland.

Consequently, visitors to T can expect to find high visibility patrols in the vicinity of the Kinross-shire arena.

‘‘Detailed policing plans for T in the Park, which account for a wide range of contingencies, have been reviewed as a matter of routine,” said Mr Hamilton yesterday.

“As with any large scale event, we would ask the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to the police.

“Those attending T in the Park will be subjected to searches and we would ask that revellers do not leave any bags unattended whilst at the festival.’

‘‘From a policing perspective we always set out to engage with the public and be accessible and visible to them.

“I am happy with the way that has worked and also happy with the close liaison that our officers had with the event stewards.

“Even though we have policed this event for a number of years now, we are never complacent and always make sure that public safety is paramount.”

Festival director Geoff Ellis said he was confident appropriate measures had been put in place to counter any potential threat to the event.

“As T in the Park is one of the biggest events in the country, a full risk assessment is carried out each year by our emergency planning team which includes the police and medical teams,” he explained.

“A huge range of issues including risks such as this are taken into account, however the details of this contingency plan and our response are confidential due to security reasons.

“Two years ago, T in the Park took place on the same weekend as the G8 Summit which meant that our procedures were revised and looked at even more closely and those same procedures remain in place this year.

“As always we will continue to take our lead and advice from the police with the aim of making this year's T in the Park as safe and enjoyable for fans as usual.”

Police are promising to adopt a “firm but fair” stance throughout the weekend, with arrangements in place to ensure the event is policed in an effective manner with the safety of festival-goers the uppermost concern.

Extra officers have been drafted in to patrol Kinross and Milnathort, with “a substantial number” also deployed within the T in the Park arena itself.

‘‘Despite the large numbers of people that descend on Balado each year, the event is welcomed by Tayside Police and the local communities,” said Mr Hamilton.

‘‘This year the festival is going to be the biggest and best attended, and will provide an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate how well we can police such a high profile event.”

Although the weather forecast is for mainly cloudy conditions, attendees are being advised to drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids during the day to avoid getting dehydrated.

Pointing out that officers made only 70 arrests at the event over the course of the weekend, down slightly on the 73 arrests made in 2005, Mr Hamilton said the event has earned a reputation for passing without major incidents.

To emphasise the point further, he noted that only 16 people were kept in custody for court, as opposed to 30 the year before.

Regarded as one of the most important and critically acclaimed music events on the international festival circuit, T has scooped awards in recognition of its carnival-type atmosphere.

With such a proud reputation firmly in mind, the police are advising those travelling to the event to look out for clearly signposted access routes directing them to car parks, to smooth their passage and keep stress levels to a minimum.

Despite the recent threat of possible strike action on the railways being averted, Perth and Kinross’s road policing head Inspector Kenny Brown advised all festival-goers to leave plenty of time to travel to avoid disruption.

“There will be strictly enforced ‘no waiting and parking’ areas and any offending vehicles will be removed by the on-site recovery team, with motorists facing a hefty fee to reclaim their vehicle,” he warned.

‘‘Local residents in Kinross and Milnathort should be aware of the extra parking restrictions that will be in place.

“Any inconvenience to local residents as a result of the parking restrictions is regrettable but is required to ensure the traffic management of the event.’’

FACT FILE

THIS year there will be 990 ‘portaloos’ situated across the sprawling site.

MORE than 800 chilled pints of lager will be poured from 34 units within the venue EVERY MINUTE.

SHOWERS will be available for campers for the first time at T today.

IT became the world’s largest carbon-neutral festival last year and will add to its eco-friendly credentials by offsetting its carbon emissions through support for green projects in Germany and Wales.