Leeds Festival: Coroner warns attendees after boy's drug death

Teenagers attending Leeds Festival next week have been urged to beware of drugs following the death of a 16-year-old boy at last year's event.

David Celino, 16, died in hospital on 28 August 2022, after taking MDMA.

His father, Gianpiero Celino, told an inquest in Wakefield he feared the event was not safe for under-18s.

Coroner Kevin McLoughlin said he hoped "all young people attending the festival heed the lessons drawn from this painful tragedy".

The teenager from Worsley, Greater Manchester, died at St James's Hospital in Leeds after he took MDMA at about 19:00 BST on 27 August, the inquest heard.

David's cause of death was recorded as serotonin syndrome and drug intoxication.

Mr McLoughlin urged teenagers to remember that David had only taken one or two tablets before becoming seriously unwell.

Mr Celino previously told the inquest that the "ticket that signals the death of another young person has already been sold".

"I hope every young person attending the festival does not take the risk that they are the person holding that dreadful ticket," Mr McLoughlin said.

"All of us wish to see the festival take place later this month without seeing any other family experience the torture inflicted on Mr and Mrs Celino.

"It will be a huge relief if we get through the festival this year without any future tragedies."

Mr McLoughlin issued a similar warning following the death of 17-year-old Anya Buckley, who died after taking drugs at Leeds Festival in 2019.

He issued a report that warned there was a risk of future deaths, and said he was concerned about under-18s being allowed at the festival without an accompanying adult.

Unaccompanied under-18s were "particularly vulnerable" at the event, the Celino family's solicitor Sarah Barlow said.

She said the family had concerns over the large number of 16 and 17-year-olds at the festival - believed to be around 18,000 a year.

The timing of the festival, which begins on the day GCSE results are released, could create an "atmosphere of excitement" and make under-18s more vulnerable, Ms Barlow added.

The family also had concerns that young people were not old enough to buy alcohol, but did have access to drugs.

Organiser Festival Republic said it had given "anxious consideration" to whether under-18s should be allowed at the event without an accompanying adult.

It said steps had already been taken to keep under-18s safe, including better recording of the number of under-18s attending the festival and the availability of an appropriate adult service.

Paul Greaney, representing Festival Republic, said managing director Melvin Benn "has the ambition, drive and capacity to do what is needed" to make improvements.

He added that Leeds City Council's licensing committee provided "robust scrutiny" of the event.

Mr McLoughlin said he planned to issue a prevention of future deaths report, encouraging Festival Republic to ask all staff to proactively approach young people who look unwell through drink or drugs.

He said he would also encourage the recording of the age of people who attend the event's medical tent because of drug use and urge enforcement action be taken against anyone dealing drugs.

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