DRUG DOGS ON PATROL FOR V FESTIVAL

A NEW group has been added to the line-up at next weekend's V
Festival - but they are hoping to go about their business as quietly
as possible.

The latest additions are a team of drug detection dogs and police
hope the hounds will help them stop people bringing drugs into
Chelmsford's Hylands Park throughout the weekend.

Sgt Andy Sawyer, of Essex Police, said: "The possession of cannabis
or any other illegal substance is a criminal offence and those
people found with such drugs will be liable to arrest, removal from
the festival and prosecution.

"We just want everyone to have fun, enjoy the music and not to miss
out on the entertainment because they have been arrested."

The drug detection dog teams have been brought in from GIS, an
Oxfordshire based company, and yesterday the company explained how
the dogs would be used.

GIS principal director John Franklin-Webb said: "Our dogs are highly
trained passive drug dogs which means if they detect drugs on a
person they will just go and sit down by them allowing police
officers to stop and search the individual."

There will be more than 60,000 people on the festival site at any
one time and police are hoping to make sure there is a safe,
drug-free environment for people to enjoy themselves.

More than 500 officers will be patrolling the site on foot, on
mountain bike and by car, as well as the event's own security teams.

There will be an Outside Control Unit to co-ordinate the police
operation across Hylands Park and a mobile police station situated
inside for festival-goers to report any crimes or get advice from
police officers.