Four people died at music events over the bank holiday weekend including two teenagers from suspected drug overdoses.
The deaths came after warnings over super strength Donald Trump, Donkey Kong, and Skype ecstasy pills, three times the average dose.
A 17-year-old girl died at Leeds Festival on Saturday and an 18-year-old woman, named locally as Courtney Chamberlin, died in a nightclub in the city at 3am on Monday – both from suspected drug overdoses.
Meanwhile a 19-year-old man, named on social media as Josh Gibson died on Saturday after falling ill at the Creamfields dance music festival in Cheshire.
And at Reading Festival, a 19-year-old reveller died two days after he fell ill near one of the stages. Police say both of these deaths are unexplained.
Also today it emerged that a 25-year-old man was found dead in a nightclub in Newport, Wales, at 2.55am yesterday. His death is not being treated as suspicious, but no more details have been released.
Police are currently not linking the drug deaths, but they came after warnings from Leeds Festival organisers of ‘dangerous, high-strength pills’ in circulation at the site.
Josh Gibson (left) died after falling ill at Creamfields on Saturday. His death is currently unexplained. Courtney Chamberlin (right) died of a suspected drugs overdose at a nightclub in Leeds on Monday
Courtney was pronounced dead despite in hospital frantic efforts to save her by paramedics and doctors
They wrote: ‘Donkey Kong, Trump and Skype pills have been found in circulation on site. These are very dangerous, high-strength pills, up to three times the normal average adult dose.’
The organisers of the Creamfields issued a similar warning, saying extremely potent MDMA tablets were being taken on-site, where Calvin Harris and the Chemical Brothers were headlining.
The first death over the weekend came at Creamfields at 12.15am on Saturday, after Mt Gibson was spotted looking unwell by security staff near a stage.
He was taken to Warrington District General Hospital in the early hours of Saturday, but later died. A post mortem is due to take place in due course.
Friend Jordan Sharp wrote on Facebook, ‘RIP Josh, we’ve had some amazing laughs over the years especially in college, fly high up there.’
The location of the four deaths over the weekend. Police say they are currently not linking the two confirmed drug related deaths in Leeds
A 17-year-old girl has died at the Leeds Festival (file photo of crowds pictured) in a suspected drug overdose
Music fans flock to the event’s Bramham Park site, where officers were scrambled to early this morning
Another friend posted online: ‘RIP josh, you’re gonna be missed a lot, sleep tight mate.’
A Creamfields spokesperson said: ‘We are deeply saddened to hear of this tragic accident.’
Detective Inspector Alistair Hinze said: ‘There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.’
Just hours later at 3.40am on Saturday at Leeds Festival, held in Brabham Park, police were called to reports a 17-year-old girl had died of a suspected drugs overdose.
Police are currently not linking the drug deaths, but they came after warnings from Leeds Festival organisers of ‘dangerous, high-strength pills’ in circulation at the site
A reveller at Reading Festival (pictured) has died two days after he fell ill at the event, police have revealed
Reading Festival was headlined by the Foo Fighters who performed on Sunday
A teenage boy, 17, was detained on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs. Both teenagers are from the Oldham area, West Yorkshire Police said. He has been released under investigation.
Leeds Festival’s police commander Superintendent Matt Davison said: ‘While the exact cause of her death is yet to be established, the information we have indicates that she has taken a combination of drugs.
‘This is a tragic incident and I hope serves as a timely reminder to others of the risk of taking illegal substances, particularly when mixing different types of drugs and drinking alcohol.’
Melvin Benn, from Festival Republic, which runs the event, said: ‘To say we are deeply saddened about this tragedy is an understatement.’
Also in Leeds Courtney Chamberlin died of a suspected drugs overdose after collapsing at The Warehouse nightclub in the city centre.
Courtney, 18, was taken to hospital after she was found ‘screaming’ and ‘distressed’ in the club toilets at 3am on Monday morning.
Courtney, described as ‘sweet and caring’ by friends, was pronounced dead in hospital despite frantic efforts to save her by paramedics and doctors.
A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs and remained in police custody.
The death of a man who fell ill at Reading Festival is still being treated as unexplained.
Emergency services were called to an area near one of the Berkshire music festival’s stages just before 11pm on Saturday, Thames Valley Police said.
The man was taken to Royal Berkshire Hospital at about 11.40pm, but he died the next day.
Reading Festival’s police commander Chief Superintendent Rob France said: ‘We are investigating the circumstances of how he became ill and his death is being treated as unexplained at this time.
Meanwhile in Newport, a 25-year-old man was discovered unconscious by staff who tried to revive him and dialled 999.
But when emergency services arrived at The Courtyard club the tragic clubber was pronounced dead.
The busy nightclub was packed with revellers but closed early following the tragedy.
A Gwent Police spokesman said: ‘At approximately 2.55am on Monday, August 26, Gwent Police were called to a report of a man unconscious at The Courtyard, Newport.
‘Officers alongside colleagues from the South Wales Ambulance Service attended the scene, however, the 25-year-old man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
‘His death is not being treated as suspicious at this time.’
