A festival boss has threatened the government with legal action over drug testing at music festivals.
Sacha Lord, founder of Parklife, which takes place annually at Heaton Park, has written to the Home Secretary Suella Braverman calling on her to allow on-site drug testing at events.
He said that on-site drug testing has been available at festivals with the approval of police and local councils since 2014 until last month.
The letter states that on June 8, the Home Office informed drug-checking charity, The Loop, that licence would now be required to provide this service.
Drug checking aims to test illegal substances and inform users if any are found to be dangerous.
He said: “This testing has, on countless occasions, identified highly dangerous substances in circulation at festivals and undoubtedly has saved lives.
“On-site drug testing saves lives and the absence of it puts lives at risk.
“Recent press reports have suggested that the Home Office maintains that it was not aware that rapid, on-site testing took place at music festivals. That connection is unsustainable.”
In June, the Home Office asserted that any organisations conducting drug testing on-site would require a Home Office Controlled Drugs License and that such a licence would be specific, to a named, permanent premises.
Mr Lord says the requirement came just 48 hours ahead of Parklife 2023 making it “impossible” for it to provide on-site testing this year.
The letter states that the decision is a “Home Office policy decision,” which “seeks to avoid the mischief of stores of controlled drugs not being securely locked away.”
It added: “Such a requirement in the case of on-site drugs testing is pointless.
"These popup laboratories handle very small quantities of substances for analysis and any remaining samples are destroyed or handed to police at regular intervals thus the need for a named premises is necessary and defeats the purpose.
JMW Solicitors has given the Home Office seven days to respond, calling the matter "extremely urgent" as the festival season is already underway.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
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