no i didnt!! thats shocking :hopeless:

its not widely publicised these days (or has been buried in the sheer level of public sector paranoia that exists post 9/11 and 7/7) but dates back from the 90s

Both Michael Howard and Jack Straw (home secretaries) told the whole of Europe that all pop festivals (including stuff like ageing rockers and boy bands!) worldwide are a major security risk due to the crowds present and risk of violence

Unfortunately subsequent to that there was violence at Woodstock in 1999, violence at the Leeds festival, then there were suicide bombers at a Russian pop concert in 2003 and this sort of thing just increases the authorities’ paranoia… (and unfortunately there can be a bit of a “mob mentality” at festivals plus lots of scum who go there to try and rob people)

so at every large-ish legal festy cops insist on setting up loads of traffic controls, uniformed cops, sniffer dogs, plain clothes cops, “Silver Command” (that is the portable police station), portable cells, CCTV etc…

they overfly the site with the Police helicopter every few hours..

then they make you pay for it in your ticket prices (and the security are allowed or encouraged to “deal robustly” with those who attempt to jump the fences)….