Pubdate: Sat, 12 Aug 2006
Source: East Anglian Daily Times (UK)
Copyright: 2006 Archant
Contact:  http://www.eadt.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/913
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

DRUG DOGS ON PATROL FOR V FESTIVAL

A NEW group has been added to the line-up at next  weekend's V 
Festival - but they are hoping to go about  their business as quietly 
as possible.

The latest additions are a team of drug detection dogs  and police 
hope the hounds will help them stop people  bringing drugs into 
Chelmsford's Hylands Park  throughout the weekend.

Sgt Andy Sawyer, of Essex Police, said: "The possession  of cannabis 
or any other illegal substance is a  criminal offence and those 
people found with such drugs  will be liable to arrest, removal from 
the festival and  prosecution.

"We just want everyone to have fun, enjoy the music and  not to miss 
out on the entertainment because they have  been arrested."

The drug detection dog teams have been brought in from  GIS, an 
Oxfordshire based company, and yesterday the  company explained how 
the dogs would be used.

GIS principal director John Franklin-Webb said: "Our  dogs are highly 
trained passive drug dogs which means  if they detect drugs on a 
person they will just go and  sit down by them allowing police 
officers to stop and  search the individual."

There will be more than 60,000 people on the festival  site at any 
one time and police are hoping to make sure  there is a safe, 
drug-free environment for people to  enjoy themselves.

More than 500 officers will be patrolling the site on  foot, on 
mountain bike and by car, as well as the  event's own security teams.

There will be an Outside Control Unit to co-ordinate  the police 
operation across Hylands Park and a mobile  police station situated 
inside for festival-goers to  report any crimes or get advice from 
police officers.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman