Girl dies and 21 teenagers ill after ecstasy sold at festival
A GIRL of 17 died of a suspected ecstasy overdose and 21 other teenagers were taken to hospital with drugrelated symptoms following a music festival.
Kent Police declared a major incident at the Worried About Henry gig at Dreamland amusement park in Margate after a number of festival-goers under 18 were taken to hospital. The youngest was 15.
one person remains in hospital in a medically induced coma. The girl who died has been named as Emily Stokes. In a crowdfunding appeal by her sister Megan she was described as the ‘kindest person you could ever meet’ and ‘so full of life’, adding: ‘To have her taken away so suddenly at just 17 years old, it has completely broken me.’
A police report said that the over-16s one-day event began at 1pm on June 29 with 6,300 tickets sold in advance, with a further 700 tickets on the door.
In the early afternoon officers became aware of three people being taken to hospital from the venue believed to be suffering from drug overdoses. At 5pm a man was found with suspected illegal drugs and arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply, and at 6pm an ambulance was called for a 17-yearold boy who was suffering from side effects of drugs.
A call shortly after confirmed one of the casualties taken to hospital earlier in the day had been declared dead following a suspected MDMA overdose.
Dreamland now faces a licensing review and has since cancelled a similar event that was scheduled for July 27.
A Dreamland spokesman said: ‘We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of a 17-year-old woman. We will continue to work closely with Kent Police.
‘The investigation is ongoing, we will therefore not be making any further comment.’
‘Kindest person you could meet’