Festival boss defends admitting unaccompanied 16-year-olds despite boy’s death

The founder and organiser of the Leeds Festival has told an inquest he does not believe unaccompanied 16 and 17-year-olds should be banned from the event despite the death of a teenager who took ecstasy at last year’s event.

Melvin Benn had to compose himself as he became emotional shortly after he began giving his evidence on Wednesday at the inquest into the death of 16-year-old David Celino.

He told David’s parents, who were sitting just a few feet in front of him at Wakefield Coroner’s Court, of his “genuine sorrow” at their son’s death.

Mr Benn, who is managing director of Festival Republic, became visibly upset and had to take a few moments to compose himself before he revealed that he had lost a nephew to drugs.

He told the court that David’s death had “taken an emotional toll on myself and all of my staff, no question about that”.

The inquest has heard that David had gone to the festival, which attracts more than 90,000 people every summer to Bramham Park, near Leeds, with five friends from their homes in Worsley, Greater Manchester, in August last year.

He became ill after taking ecstasy, which his group bought from a dealer in the Camping Plus area of the festival, and died after being taken to hospital in Leeds.

Earlier this week, David’s father, Gianpiero Celino, told the inquest of his concerns that unaccompanied youngsters are left prey to drug dealers who operate like “the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” due to lax security.

Mr Benn told the hearing on Wednesday: “It’ll be no surprise to know that I don’t believe that there should be a bar on 16- or 17-year-olds.”

He agreed there is no such prohibition at any major festival in the UK, including Glastonbury, and the coroner discussed with him some of the practical difficulties of such a move.

He said he believes 16-year-olds should be able to buy alcohol but the current law prohibiting alcohol sales for under-18s is rigidly applied at the festival.

Mr Benn was asked by senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin about Mr Celino’s belief that “predatory” drug dealers targeting teenagers is a “foreseeable risk”.

He replied: “Somehow Mr Celino’s evidence really pulled it into focus. It struck home.”

Mr Benn, who also organises the Reading Festival and a number of others around the country, said: “They (teenagers) do have naivety. They do have a false sense of security. And that was put into focus by Mr Celino.

“I have never had that focus. It’s never been quite as clear as it was yesterday.”

Mr Benn said this year’s festival, which starts next week, will have a much more visible security and help presence.

The inquest has heard that it is estimated around 20% of festival attendees are 16 and 17-year-olds and Mr Benn said he was putting more sophisticated systems in place this year to give an accurate picture of this data, using ID and wristbands.

He said he believed the provision of AIR (Assistance, Information and Response) Hubs at the festival, staffed by volunteers rather than security staff, was the best way to provide support to youngsters.

Mr Benn said these had been introduced as a direct response to David’s death and all festival-goers should be within 200m of a hub.

But Mr Benn told the inquest: “I do not think drugs are any more freely available at festivals than they are in society generally.”

Under questioning from Mr and Mrs Celino’s barrister, Sarah Barlow, Mr Benn said he did not see what else he can do make sure attendees are aware of the risks around drugs at the festival, but he said he would “welcome” talking to the family about their thoughts on the matter.

“I’m always open to ideas,” he told the hearing. “I’m not sure what more I could be doing.”

Asked by Festival Republic’s barrister Paul Greaney KC, Mr Benn said it was impossible to stop drugs getting onto the festival site.

He said searches were targeted because it was practically impossible to properly search everyone’s bags, tents and sleeping bags for drugs.

Mr Benn was asked about whether he had considered introducing so-called front-of-house testing, so drug-users can find out what is in the substances they have bought.

He said that the Home Secretary has prohibited this from taking place at festivals, adding that he believed it can give people the wrong idea that their drugs are safe to take.

The coroner allowed a break in proceedings on Wednesday afternoon to allow Mr Benn to meet with David’s parents before he had to leave Wakefield.

Detective Chief Inspector Philip Jackson told the court he also investigated the death of 17-year-old Anya Buckley, from Oldham, who died after a drug overdose at Leeds Festival in 2019.

He said the circumstances were different to David’s death and that investigation led to the dismantling of an organised crime group in Oldham.

Mr Jackson agreed that an “opportunity was missed” when officers did not immediately search for the dealer who supplied David and his friends but he said officers’ priority on the night was the teenagers’ welfare.

The inquest heard that Festival Republic had drafted in retired West Yorkshire Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Wallen – who led the investigations into the murders of MP Jo Cox and school teacher Ann Maguire – to draw up its revised security plan for the festival.