Submitted: West Yorkshire Police have announced they had `reluctantly’ decided not to challenge the decision to grant a licence for a pop music festival marred in previous years by violence. West Yorkshire Police had been considering pursuing a judicial review following the decision to grant a licence for this year’s Carling Leeds Festival. Trouble has flared on the final night of the pop festival for the past three years. When the event was held last summer a mob set toilet blocks on fire at the end of the three-day festival at Temple Newsam, Leeds, causing £250,000 damage. This year the festival has been moved to nearby Bramham Park, a 17th century estate more used to hosting horse trials. A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said the decision had been taken because even if the force was successful in the review there was no guarantee another, albeit different, licensing and regulatory panel would not come to the same decision as the first hearing and give the festival the go-ahead. “In that event nothing would have been gained,†she said. She added: “The force continues to have serious concerns that public safety cannot be guaranteed at an event that now has a well established culture of disorder. Responsibility for the health and safety of those attending rests with the organisers, however the force is responsible to the wider community in the area. Therefore West Yorkshire Police feels it must work with Leeds City Council and the organisers to ensure that every opportunity is taken to prevent a reoccurrence of previous disorder.” The spokeswoman said that officers would continue to to liaise with the organisers in the run-up to the event. She acknowledged the strength of feeling of people living around Bramham Park and stressed that police would do all they could to reduce disruption to them on the days of the event, due to be held over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Last month the managing director of organisers Mean Fiddler, Melvin Benn, sought to reassure local residents by announcing a package of new security measures costing £250,000. The new security measures include non-combustible toilets, and improved lighting and campsite facilities. Campfires have been banned. Around 700 security staff will be on duty over the weekend, with 400 working on the Sunday night – double the number on duty last year.
