STRONG words from the police over Boomtown Fair.

As we report on the front page, the premises licence for the annual event at the Matterley Estate is to be reviewed by Winchester City Council on Monday, November 25.

The police are clearly unhappy about the way the event is being managed. Their submission to the council talks about the suspected fatal drugs overdose of a 22-year-old man, "shocking statistics" of 29 broken bones at this year's festival and said it is “unacceptable” that the festival allows festival-goers to enter the event after being caught at the gate with illegal drugs, and that it “cannot continue operating in the same manner”.

These are heavy words, not lightly thrown, and we are sure that the event organisers will have received a jolt that they must more adequately address these issues.

The licensing committee will also take them very seriously and its members have to at least consider whether the event has a future in its current form. At the moment the police are calling for a tightening of the rules - anyone caught with drugs will not be allowed in; anyone already at the event caught with drugs will be evicted.

But anyone who goes to Boomtown knows that illegal drugs are everywhere. Many people avoid the event for that reason. Many people are attracted to it for exactly the same reason. 

The question arises of what will the police do in reality? Are they going to increase their presence and the actions that they take? It would appear clear that unless Boomtown tightens things up considerably they could be on a collision course with the police over future events. At the moment this is a police warning shot across their bows.

The Chronicle would not want to see the event go. It does bring a lot of legitimate and legal pleasure to a lot of people and inconveniences a relatively small number, most of whom have learned to adapt and live with it.