Leeds Festival: Coroner fears more teenage drug deaths

David Celino became ill at Leeds Festival on 27 August last year and died the next morning

A coroner has warned he fears more young people will die after taking drugs at festivals unless authorities take action to tackle the issue.

David Celino, 16, died after taking drugs at Leeds Festival last year.

Coroner Kevin McLoughlin called on the home secretary, culture secretary and police to do more to prevent future deaths, following an inquest last week.

He also urged Leeds City Council and festival organisers to tackle the issue of under-18s taking illicit drugs.

Mr Celino, from Worsley, Greater Manchester, died at St James's Hospital in Leeds on 28 August 2022 after taking MDMA at Leeds Festival.

His father, Gianpiero Celino, told an inquest in Wakefield he feared the event was not safe for under-18s.

David Celino's parents Nicola and Gianpiero Celino after the inquest

Mr McLoughlin highlighted concerns over the safety of the event for teenagers following an inquest into Mr Celino's death at Wakefield Coroner's Court.

Writing to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, West Yorkshire Police, Leeds City Council and Leeds Festival promoter Festival Republic, he called for a "hydra-headed campaign to deter illicit drugs being brought on to the festival site".

He said that without these efforts he feared "further deaths will occur in circumstances comparable to David Celino's tragic death (whether involving under 18s or other age groups) in Leeds or elsewhere".

In a prevention of future deaths report Mr McLoughlin said he was concerned that neither Festival Republic nor Leeds City Council knew exactly how many under-18s attended Leeds Festival, despite estimates of about 18,000.

He warned that "the magnitude of the problem of potentially vulnerable, naïve teenagers exposed to possible exploitation by drug dealers, was not appreciated".

Coroner Kevin McLoughlin says a campaign is needed to deter illicit drugs at festivals

Mr McLoughlin said there was no "governing body with oversight of music festivals" that could record the level of drug-related casualties.

And he urged the Home Office to give festival organisers guidance on the use of front-of-house testing, which is where people can take drugs to be tested to make sure they are safe.

Mr McLoughlin also issued a prevention of future deaths report following the drug-related death of 17-year-old Anya Buckley at Leeds Festival in 2019.

Leeds Festival 2023 begins on Friday.