A NUMBER of thefts on the first night of the Beautiful Days festival tarnished an otherwise successful event.

While the majority of the 15,000 revellers enjoyed a trouble-free weekend, a small number were victims of crime on the night of Thursday, August 15.

PC Vicky Dixon, from Ottery police, said that a total of 15 thefts from tents had been logged, but there were likely more that had gone unreported.

The incidents, mainly involved cash and mobiles being stolen, though one unfortunate man reported his wallet stolen, as well as his phone, car keys and clothes.

The Herald received a report from a concerned festival-goer that the police presence was much lower at this year’s event, though organiser Laura Farrow said that was not the case.

She said: “Our police and security numbers were exactly the same as the previous years; in fact we have more security than we are required to have for an event of that size.

“There were some thefts on the first night and, frankly, one is too many, but unfortunately this sort of thing can and does happen.”

“We did everything we could to help those who had been affected,” she added