Reading Festival: Burned teen describes 'horrific' ordeal

A teenager who suffered second degree burns at a music festival has described the event as "horrific".

Leone Cook, 18, from Kent, was sitting near a campfire at Reading Festival on Sunday 28 August when a liquid that was thrown on to the fire exploded.

Thames Valley Police confirmed some fires were started on the last day of the festival and 50 revellers were ejected.

Organiser Festival Republic is investigating Leone's case.

Leone's mother, Tracey Cook, 51, said: "Whatever it was it went all over her, from her ankle up to her thigh, and on her face as well."

Leone told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she was informed "it was too hard" for an ambulance to reach her at the campsite.

"I thought the medical service was really poor, but the police were really good," she said.

"They asked for an ambulance but Reading [Festival] refused to send one.

"I got told I had to walk to the nearest medical tent."

Leone could not be carried because of the burns, but her boyfriend and police officers assisted her on the 40-minute walk.

She was taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, and is now being treated at a burns unit in East Grinstead, undergoing hours of surgery to remove burnt skin.

Leone said: "I'm going to have to go on a gap year because I can't walk. It's going to take at least two months to be able to go out again.

"I'm not allowed to be exposed to the sun for at least two months and the burns will take a year to heal.

"I'll also have to use factor 50 whenever I'm out in the sun for the rest of my life."

Leone, who also went to the festival in 2021, added: "There was no one throwing things last year, I didn't see anyone setting tents on fire, but this year it was horrible.

"People were throwing things over the hedge like poles and bottles of urine, and I could hear people shouting 'let's make a Molotov cocktail.'"

Her mum said: "Because of the explosion that hit Leone, someone else's tent caught fire and melted. The safeguarding was just not there.

"Reading Festival need to be held accountable for not being prepared and having the facilities to deal with what happened.

"What went on that day needs to be addressed."

A Festival Republic spokesperson said: "We are in in touch with the family involved in this reported incident and are working with all authorities and medical services whilst we investigate this."

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