Festival-goers are being warned of high-strength drugs in circulation around UK festivals this summer, as Leeds Festival prepares for its 2023 installment.
The MDMA warning, from drugs charity The Loop, comes ahead of a huge weekend for live music, with Reading & Leeds Festival and Manchester Pride Festival taking place simultaneously.
The Loop has said that pills tested at other UK festivals this summer have contained between 84mg and 230mg of MDMA, averaging one and a half doses per pill.
Some Ecstasy tablets tested have contained double doses, or even higher.
The charity also warned of one particular high-strength pill – an orange Tesla pill – that has been implicated in two nightclub deaths.
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The Loop posted this morning ‘Take quarter sip water’ and advised that people wait 90 minutes before re-dosing.
The charity wrote: “MDMA can raise your body temperature, so take regular breaks from dancing.
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“Seek medical help if you experience any of the following: significantly raised temperature, excessive sweating, muscle rigidity, non-responsiveness or seizure.”
Their full post added: “Please take care this weekend.
“Ecstasy pills vary in strength & could contain 2+ doses. Pills tested at UK festivals this summer contained 84-230mg MDMA, averaging 149mg (~1½ doses).”
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Their warning comes just two days after a coroner said he feared more young people would die due to drugs at festivals.
Coroner Kevin McLoughlin had been speaking at the inquest into the death of David Celino, 16, who died after taking drugs at Leeds Festival last year.
David was described as a ‘beautiful, fiercely independent’ teen by his heartbroken family after his tragic death.
Parklife co-founder Sacha Lord has also written to the Home Office this week urging it legalise pop-up drug testing – like the work carried out by The Loop – at festivals.
Currently drugs testing providers can only be issued with a Home Office licence if they have a specific, named, permanent premises, rather the portacabins that are commonplace at festival sites.
Entire tram line suspended due to overhead line damage at Old Trafford
Daisy Jackson
Metrolink trams along the Altrincham line have been suspended due to damage to an overhead line near Old Trafford.
The damage, caused by a third party, has caused significant disruption for commuters across the Greater Manchester region this afternoon.
No Metrolink tram services are operating between Altrincham and Piccadilly, in either direction.
Large queues are already forming for buses at Piccadilly Gardens as people attempt to get home.
Engineers have arrived on site to try and fix the issue, but ‘significant disruption’ is expected to continue into the evening.
TfGM and Metrolink have also deployed staff to assist people with their journeys at all stops in the city centre as well as at Old Trafford, Trafford Bar, and Cornbrook.
Trams between Bury and Deansgate-Castlefield are unaffected.
Ticket acceptance is in place on the 245, 255, 256, 263, 281 and 285 bus services and on Northern Rail services between Altrincham and the city centre. Simply show the driver your Metrolink ticket or pass when boarding.
You can plan the rest of your journey online using the TfGM journey planner here.
Pubs can extend their opening hours if England make it to the Euro 2024 semi-finals
Emily Sergeant
Pubs are to be permitted to extend their opening hours if England make it through to the semi-finals of EURO 2024 this summer.
With the Premier League, and the English and Scottish football leagues, all drawing to a close over the next couple of weeks, our nations are already looking ahead to what is gearing up to be a massive summer of sport – with both the UEFA EURO 2024, and the 2024 Olympics coming up before August is out.
And now, it’s been revealed by Home Secretary James Cleverly that if either England or Scotland’s mens national football teams make it to the semi-final of European football’s flagship tournament, then pubs will be allowed to stay open for longer.
But, there’s a bit of a catch… because isn’t there always?
The Government has said that venues will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours on match days if either or both teams reach the last four or the final of the competition, but this only applies to pubs that already have a license to open until 11pm anyway.
The move to extend opening hours comes after a consultation at the end of last year, and is hoped to provide a boost to the hospitality industry – which has notably been hit hard during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Home Secretaries in England and Wales, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, but the Scottish and Northern Irish Governments have to set their own rules.
“We have listened to the public through our consultation,” explained Home Secretary James Cleverley, “and we will be extending pub licensing hours should England or Scotland reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2024.”
The EURO 2024 semi-finals are to be held on Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July / Credit: UEFA
Mr Cleverley said the move will “allow friends, families and communities to come together for longer to watch their nation hopefully bring it home”.
This legislation is set to be laid in Parliament today (Wednesday 8 May) to ensure there is enough time for it to be debated and passed before the tournament begins on Friday 14 June, the Government has confirmed.