Police probe teenager deaths at T in the Park

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T in the ParkImage source, Universal News And Sport
Image caption,

Police searched the site following the deaths

Police are investigating the deaths of two 17-year-olds in separate incidents at the T in the Park music festival.

Police Scotland said the deaths of the youths, one male and one female, were not thought to be suspicious, although work was continuing to establish the exact circumstances.

Festival organisers said they were "shocked and saddened" by the news.

More than 80,000 people are attending the three-day festival at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire.

Police said the teenagers were a 17-year-old male from the west of Scotland and a female of the same age from the north of England.

The deaths are not thought to be linked, and at this stage are not being considered suspicious.

Officers are investigating lines of inquiry, including the possibility that the deaths may be drug related, with event commander Chief Superintendent Angela McLaren warning "all persons attending the festival that there is no safe way of taking drugs".

The T in the Park organisers later took to Twitter to urge anyone with drugs at the festival to dump them in special bins saying those who did so would not get into trouble.

'Full support'

Festival director Geoff Ellis said: "We are shocked and saddened by today's news and our thoughts are with the families and friends at this time.

"We are offering our full support and assistance."

There have been deaths in previous years at the festival, which moved to its new location in Perthshire last year.

Image caption,

The festival is being staged at Strathallan Castle for the second time

A 36-year-old man was found dead in the toilets in 2015, and a 24-year-old man collapsed and died during the night in 2010.

Revised travel and campsite plans have been put in place at this year's festival in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the traffic problems which marred last year's event.

Organisers said improvements included colour-coded zones, better signage and 24-hour dedicated management teams.

Police have also appealed for information after a cash machine was stolen from the main arena area at the festival.

Officers said the ATM contained a "significant amount of cash" and had been taken sometime between midnight and 07:00 on Friday.

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