Cheshire Police have uncovered a significant quantity of drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine, and over 200 canisters of nitrous oxide, buried at the Creamfields festival site. The discovery was made as officers conducted 'disruption work' in anticipation of the four-day music event, which is expected to draw up to 80,000 attendees.
Specialist search teams combed the grounds in Daresbury, Cheshire, in an effort to deter festival-goers from concealing substances ahead of the festival's opening. Among the seized items were large bags of ecstasy and ketamine tablets, with some tablets marked with novelty designs like 'It's Coming Home' and 'Cornetto'. Police stated that searches would continue in the lead-up to the event.
Superintendent Andy Blizard emphasized the festival's zero-tolerance policy on drugs, noting that individuals annually attempt to hide substances in advance. "Our specialist search teams have spent a considerable amount of time combing the grounds of the Creamfields site ahead of the festival's opening later this week," Blizard said. "We fully expect to find further quantities as our searches continue, leaving many of those who chose to bury these items very much disappointed to find them no longer where they left them when they arrive at the festival to dig them back up."
Police are also asking anyone who may have buried a rucksack or holdall bag at the site and wishes to retrieve it to contact them. Efforts are underway to identify the owners of items discovered.
Past festivals have seen attendees employ elaborate methods to smuggle drugs. In 2024, two men received 18-month jail sentences for attempting to smuggle ketamine into the festival using Kinder Eggs concealed internally. Last year, a woman was caught with over 60 MDMA pills hidden similarly. Another incident involved a driver found to be over the drug-drive limit for cocaine and cannabis, with bags of cocaine and ketamine found in his camping gear.