Fourteen people were arrested for drugs related offences at the first ever Boundary Festival at Stanmer Park in Brighton on Saturday.
People attending the festival, a successor to Shakedown, were warned police would take a zero tolerance to drugs, including legal highs, after revellers left behind a sea of laughing gas canisters at Shakedown last year.
Since then, laughing gas and other so-called legal highs have been outlawed.
Approximately 8,000 people attended the music event. Sussex Police worked closely with organisers, local authorities and other agencies in advance of the festival, with officers also present in support on the day.
Of the 14 individuals were arrested, all on suspicion of drug-related offences, 10 for intent to supply a psychoactive substance. Of these, nine have been bailed pending further enquiries, four were released without further action and one received a caution.
Last year, before legal highs were banned, six people were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences at Shakedown Festival.
Chief Inspector Howard Hodges said: “Other than a small number of arrests in relation to drugs, the event went really well and we can reflect on some really good partnership work, which included our officers assisting security at the site where necessary.
“Having plans in place in advance of the festival enabled us to respond to incidents efficiently, and our policing presence helped to ensure that people were kept safe and disruption was kept to a minimum.”
At last year’s Shakedown Festival, two people were arrested for offences relating to legal highs. A 29-year-old man from London who passed himself off as a St John Ambulance officer was arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and later cautioned for the offence.
A 22-year-old man from Chingford, London was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after two security staff were assaulted when ejecting a man suspected of selling nitrous oxide canisters.
