KENDAL CALLING saw an increase in drug crimes in comparison to last year, and a decrease in non-drug related crimes, over the course of the weekend.

Cumbria Police have praised the 'successful partnership working' between various agencies, festival organisers, and emergency services as this year's Kendal Calling festival comes to a close.

The four-day event saw a total of nine arrests, with around 40,000 festival-goers attending.

Like in previous years, the police's dog section were deployed to scan festival-goers for drugs at the entry gates.

From Monday 24 until Sunday July 30, officers and their canine partners conducted drug searches on the festival grounds.

There were a total of 50 crimes reported to have occurred at the festival. These crimes included drugs offences, sexual assaults, assaults, and thefts.

All victims were provided with safeguarding and support, polcie said, and all crimes reported are being 'actively investigated'.

There was an increase in drugs-related crimes this year compared to last. Police said that this 'could be attributed to the police's proactive approach in preventing illegal substances from entering the festival grounds and ensuring the safety of attendees'.

Drugs amnesty bins were also strategically placed to allow individuals with illegal drugs to safely dispose of them.

In contrast, the number of non-drug-related crimes was lower this year, indicating that the majority of festival-goers had a 'safe and enjoyable' experience at Kendal Calling.

Superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: “Cumbria Police worked closely with the event organisers and other partner agencies in the lead up to the event and throughout the weekend.

“The priority of all our officers is keeping people safe from harm and our collaboration with the festival organisers, on-site security and other agencies has allowed us to do this effectively.

“Unfortunately, there were some serious crimes committed, and our specialist detectives are now working hard to investigate these and provide support to the victims.”

“There was a lot of preventative activity put in place before and during the festival including Number Plate Recognition cameras on and off site, increased officers on the roads in Penrith and our drugs dogs and handlers on the gates.

“I’d particularly like to praise the dog section, and our handler colleagues, who worked tirelessly throughout the week in order to reduce the volume of illegal substances being brought on to the site.

“Although we did make a number of arrests, this number is extremely low in comparison to the large volume of people who attended the festival, and we are pleased that most enjoyed the music safely and had a great time - despite the rain and mud.

“I would personally like to thank all of the police officers and staff who have worked diligently and professionally throughout the event, as well as all of the other agencies involved in Kendal Calling.”