Creamfields: Woman, 25, dies after falling ill at music festival

The woman, from South Wales, was taken to hospital on Friday night but died four days later

The annual Creamfields festival is the biggest event in Cheshire (Warren Simmens)

A woman has died after falling ill at the Creamfields music festival, police have confirmed.

The woman, from South Wales, was taken to Warrington District General Hospital after officers at the Cheshire event were alerted around 10.15pm on Friday 26 August. She died in the early hours of Tuesday 30 August.

Superintendent Sarah Heath, who led the policing operation for Creamfields, said: “The tragic death of a young woman is heart-breaking and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time.

“An investigation into the cause of her death is underway but at this stage there is nothing to suggest that there are any suspicious circumstances.”

No further details were given about the possible cause of the woman’s death.

Creamfields is the largest event in Cheshire, with a total of 69,000 people attending the festival over the bank holiday weekend.

A total of 209 crimes were reported for a variety of offences – the most common being drug-related, with a total of 135.

The music festival saw 39 arrests for numerous offences over the four-day event. In addition, 71 people were spoken to by police in relation to the possession of drugs and removed from the site.

A further 42 people were not arrested but were recorded by police as being involved in drugs.

Superintendent Heath said Cheshire Police and event organisers worked together to prevent illegal drugs from getting into the site.

She added: “There were drugs dogs at entrances and opportunities for illegal substances and weapons to be placed in surrender bins along with an extensive search process by security personnel at entrances to the site.

“A conscious effort was made to target those who were intent on supplying illegal substances at the event – which accounted for more than half of the arrests made – while we made use of other options available to us, such as community resolutions, for lower-level offences.

“All of those who were arrested and are being investigated for drug offences will now have to face the consequences and pay the price for their actions.”

News of the woman’s death comes after a 16-year-old boy died after taking drugs at Leeds Festival.

David Celino died in the early hours of Sunday morning and police are investigating whether his death could be linked to a particular type of ecstasy tablet which they said was described as a “grey or black oblong shape”.

His family said he was a “beautiful, fiercely independent and warm character who lived every day at 110 per cent”.

“Leeds Festival was the highlight of his summer; ultimately it was to take his life in the most unfair, cruel and horrible way, and we are broken,” they said in a statement.