Fewer police officers to conduct festival searches

Kendal Calling has hired more of its own security personnel to search festival-goers

Fewer police officers will be at a major festival after its organisers opted to hire more private security.

Cumbria Police said there would be a "slightly decreased" number of officers at Kendal Calling because its organisers had hired a larger security team to search festival-goers.

Fourteen people were arrested at last year's event, most on suspicion of drug offences.

Ch Supt Matt Kennerley said officers would still be working at the festival and urged people to act responsibly or risk spending the weekend "in the police cells".

Despite a reduced police presence, Ch Supt Kennerley said the force's response would still be comparable to similar events.

"There will be an increase in security from the event organisers who will be conducting the search regime and from a policing response perspective it's around the same that we would normally have at an event of this size," he said.

Ch Supt Matt Kennerley said the force would arrest people found with drugs at the event

About 40,000 people are expected to attend the festival which starts on Thursday.

The Cumbria force said drugs were its main concern and it would have a "full command structure" in place over the weekend.

"We will have officers there ready to step in," Ch Supt Kennerley said.

"If event security turn up items that shouldn't be going into that event - weapons or drugs - then we are likely to have to make an arrest and we are likely to have to bring people in.

"And that's the last thing we want to do."

He also said Amnesty bins would be on site for people to safely dispose of drugs and urged visitors not to put themselves at risk.