MUSIC fans heading for the Creamfields festival near Warrington this weekend have been given a blunt warning by police: Don’t drink or take drugs and drive.
A team of officers – trained to carry out field impairment tests – will be carrying out spot checks on vehicles travelling to and from the event in Daresbury to see whether the drivers are unfit to drive through drink or drug-related impairment.
PC Andy Taylor, part of the North West Motorway Police Group, said: “Cheshire Police takes drink and drug-driving extremely seriously. We want to make drivers aware that officers will be carrying out checks on roads over the weekend. A team of officers will be dedicated to field impairment testing, which can detect if anyone has taken drugs and driven.
“Anyone caught drink or drug-driving will be prosecuted. The penalties for drink driving are the same as for drug-driving – a minimum of 12 months disqualification for anyone caught driving under the influence and a criminal record.
“The message is simple – do not drink or take drugs and drive.”
Officers will be based at various points on routes to and from the site over the course of the event.
Signs will be put up around the site to warn drivers that drug-driving tests are being carried out. Drivers who are stopped will be asked to carry out a variety of exercises designed to test their level of impairment.
PC Taylor added: “Around 55,000 people are expected to attend the event over the weekend and this means that local roads will be busier than usual.
“While we want people to enjoy themselves at the music festival, we are urging both drivers and passengers to take responsibility for their own road safety by making the right choice – the safer choice.”
Festival goers are being encouraged to make use of public transport in the area or the shuttle bus services that are running to the event from Liverpool, Manchester and Warrington – with a return service added from the site to Runcorn.
Further details of these shuttle bus services – and other important information about the event – are available at www.creamfields.com
MUSIC fans heading for the Creamfields festival near Warrington this
weekend have been given a blunt warning by police: Don't drink or take
drugs and drive.
Drink and drugs warning for music fans
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
