Devon and Cornwall Police has said its policing operation to support the Boardmasters festival 2023 was successful in achieving its aims, considering the challenges of approximately 50,000 people camping at the festival site and visiting Fistral Beach and the Newquay area.

Officers worked closely with festival organisers and partner agencies with the aim of keeping people safe at the event ensuring those attending, and the surrounding community enjoyed the festival.

Extra officers carried out additional foot patrols in the town centre and the Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach festival sites providing high visibility reassurance alongside preventing and detecting crime.

Police say there were a small number of reported crimes within the festival, including an alleged sexual assault, and these have been progressed by police, however, they say levels of crime and anti-social behaviour associated with the festival has reduced this year.

Chief Inspector Russell Dawe, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “Every year, we are part of the multi-agency planning process with partners and event organisers whose collective aim is to support and deliver a safe and enjoyable event for all.

“In collaboration with the festival organisers, our focus has been safeguarding those attending the event and the development of a safe environment, and where necessary putting the correct support in place.

“We have disrupted criminality and the supply of drugs, reduced anti-social behaviour, and supported any victims of crime or those with vulnerabilities.

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“Boardmasters has a very good welfare and safeguarding arrangement through the partnership approach it adopts. In support of this, we provided specialist officers at the event, to help respond immediately to any reports of sexual offences or concerns around drink spiking. This meant those small number of people impacted had immediate support by knowledgeable and expert staff and where required, we commenced a swift investigative response.”

Chief Inspector Russell Dawe added: “While it is extremely disappointing to see any crime at an event, a festival of this size will attract a very small minority who take advantage. I am really pleased and proud of the efforts police officers, staff and partners have made to deliver the security operation, and the proactive and preventative measures we undertook.

“We continue to develop and improve our approach to event policing to keep festivals of this nature safe and secure.

“It was a pleasure to welcome and engage with festival goers from across the country and ask everyone to take care when travel home on the roads and transport network.”