Fear over killer Ecstasy pills at music festival

POLICE have warned revellers at the T in the Park festival to beware of any drugs bought on the site after officers seized a shipment of Ecstasy with a street value of £80,000.

It is believed the batch was bound for the music festival currently under way at Balado airfield in Perth and Kinross.

Police warned that Ecstasy tablets six times stronger than normal have been sold in the west of Scotland.

The warning followed the deaths of two men in Ayrshire last weekend. Lee Dunnachie, 22, of Prestwick, and 19-year-old Steven Kelly, of Patna, died in separate incidents. It is believed they had taken the extra-strong pills.

The drugs were seized during raids on properties in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire on Thursday evening in which three men were arrested.

Strathclyde detectives said 60,000 worth of Ecstasy was found at a flat in Castlefern Road, Glasgow, where a 48-year-old man was held.

It followed the arrests of two men, aged 35 and 26, in connection with the alleged seizure of around 20,000 of the pills in Cambuslang on Wednesday.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Mitchell said: "I have no doubt a large quantity of these Ecstasy tablets were bound for this weekend's T in the Park festival. We are absolutely determined to rid our communities of serious and organised crime and will resolutely target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs."

Tayside Police put leaflets on buses which revellers were taking to the venue in an effort to reinforce the message.

Event commander Chief Superintendent Craig Suttie added: "We are aware of Ecstasy tablets being peddled in certain parts of Scotland reported to be six times the strength of other Ecstasy pills.

"Clearly, anyone who takes such a drug is dicing with death. Indeed, anyone who takes drugs can have no inkling of its strength or what chemicals it might contain. Please listen to the advice and avoid drugs altogether."

However, yesterday, Tayside Police also issued a statement saying there is no truth in rumours on social networking sites about drugs-related deaths at the festival.

Despite dire predictions that the festival was set to be a washout with weather forecasts of heavy rain, hail and thunderstorms, yesterday's sporadic showers failed to dampen spirits, with music fans wearing hats and sunglasses with their wellies and ponchos.

Despite some 85,000 revellers expected to attend the festival during the weekend, the site held up relatively well, avoiding a repetition of the mudbath that hit Glastonbury last month following heavy rain.

Leanne Watson, 28, from Aberdeen, and Lucy Duffin, 28, from Dunbar, said yesterday's damper weather was welcome.

"It's been really hot since Friday, so it's been nice to cool down a bit," said Duffin. "But it's hardly affected the campsite."This is my fourth T in the Park and I think last night was the best night's sleep I've had out of all of them."

Stuart Anderson, 29, from Aberdeen, who has attended the festival since 2001, said predictions of rain had not put him off.

"It's a great atmosphere here, and the rain showers have not been that bad. I remember one year, we were camping and the rain was so bad that it swept our tent off the hill."