CRIME at a major music festival near Winchester was down, police have revealed

Police say that crime at Boomtown Fair, held at the Matterley Bowl near Winchester is significantly lower than last year's figures.

This year there was a heavier police presence at the event which attracted 60,000 people - and armed officers were spotted inside.

In previous years the event has had controversy over drugs use. Last year Olivia Christopher was found dead in a tent after consuming a variety of drugs, and in 2014, Ellie Rowe,18, from Somerset died after snorting Ketamine.

Overall event has had four fatalities in the last six years and organisers have tried to solve the issue by having an on-site drug testing facility run by The Loop had more than a 1000 different drug samples were tested - which is more than they have tested at any other festival.

A spokesperson for Boomtown said:"We got the message out and warned people about substances that cause harm, it feels like we have made a big step in raising awareness and helping to educate people."

This year the event which is in its eighth year, had nearly 50 less reported crimes compared to 2016,.

The total number of crimes at the event was 127 - 49 less than the 176 in 2016, and just over £91,000 worth of drugs were seized by police at the event, as well as more than £77,000 recovered from the amnesty bins used by revellers outside of the event, as well as security staff after interventions on site.

A large proportion of crimes related to drugs; with 17 people dealt with for drug possession and 33 people dealt with for possession with intent to supply drugs.

There has been a decrease in reports of thefts from tents, with 38 reported so far, compared to 71 last year.

Meanwhile, violence and sexual offences remained low this year with four assaults being reported and three robberies. One sexual offence was reported.

Superintendent Jason Kenny, said: "The increase in the amount of drugs seized demonstrates that the drugs messaging going out to festival goers before the event is working and people are using the amnesty bins. Once on site, preventative measures including dedicated security staff and specialist officers have helped to reduce the potential supply and use of drugs at Boomtown Fair.

“We continue the excellent partnership working across all agencies, throughout the planning process and the actual event itself.”

In terms of noise complaints, Winchester City Council say there were only three.

A spokesperson from Winchester City Council said: "This year Winchester City Council received three direct reports relating to noise levels at Boomtown Fair. All agencies are embarking on individual internal reviews of the event and will meet for a full debrief in due course.”