Covid: Latitude Festival ticket holder selling over safety fear

Latitude will be a government Covid-19 test event and it has a capacity for 40,000 people

A woman who was shielding said she will sell her summer festival tickets as she does not feel "safe" despite the easing of Covid restrictions.

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that most legal restrictions in England should be removed from 19 July.

In March, Sammie Read, 41, bought tickets for herself and her husband for the Latitude Festival in Suffolk for their wedding anniversary.

"But with the latest announcement we won't be going," she said.

Sammie Read was shielding as she has cystic fibrosis

Latitude, which runs 22-25 July at Henham Park near Southwold, is going ahead as part of the government's series of test events.

Ticket holders for the 40,000-capacity festival will be asked for proof of a negative lateral flow test or of double-vaccination.

Speaking when Latitude became a test event, festival director Melvin Benn said he had been "working extremely hard" to make sure it could go ahead "safely at full capacity".

Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice are one of the headliners for this year's Latitude Festival

Mrs Read, who lives in Mendlesham in Suffolk and has cystic fibrosis, said they were "really looking forward to having a weekend of celebrating our anniversary and enjoying music and time together".

But she said: "We decided on Tuesday we were going to put our tickets up for sale, because I just don't feel safe.

"There's going to be people on top of each other, no masks, it just isn't worth it for my health."

Latitude takes place at the Henham Park country estate, near Southwold, in Suffolk

The lifting of rules - which will be confirmed on 12 July after a review of the latest data - would include scrapping social distancing rules as well as the legal requirement to wear face masks.

Mrs Read said recently she had met friends for lunch and coffee, adding: "It's been good, being able to arrive with masks, sit at a distance from other people.

"Now suddenly I'm going to be in a situation where people can be on top of me again."

• Standon Calling confirmed to take place in July

• ''It's not Download without rain'

• Latitude becomes latest 2020 lockdown casualty

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "People who suffer with long-term conditions or are vulnerable will want to take extra precautions to minimise any risk of exposure to Covid-19.

"If someone is worried they should speak to their GP for advice on how to manage the risks of Covid-19 according to their personal situation."

He added that guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people will be updated "to reflect the lifting of restrictions on 19 July".

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]