This weekend will see the return of Wakestock to North Wales – featuring live music and wakeboarding competitions happening across three sites on the Llyn Peninsula.
A warm welcome is being extended to those coming to Wakestock for the first time and for those returning – it’s nice to see you back here.
The police and partners on duty at the Wakestock Festival are there to make sure that the Festival is as peaceful and crime-free as possible, so do please enjoy yourselves.
Local District Inspector Dewi Jones is hoping all visitors have a safe and happy weekend. He said: “With Wakestock now in its 14th year we want all festival-goers to enjoy themselves safely again this year.
“Officers really do enjoy policing the festival and it’s our close working relationship with the organisers that makes the policing of Wakestock such a success.
“We want everybody to enjoy themselves – do come and speak to us, we don’t bite!”
This year will also see members of the local policing team tweeting live from the festival. PCSO Catrin Owen and PSCO Liz Jones will be tweeting advice and guidance as well as tips on how to stay safe and have fun over the weekend. They can be followed via @NWPCatrinOwen and @NWPLizJones.
He added: “Visitors can follow our officers via the #Wakestock or #WS14 hashtags to pick up handy pieces of personal safety advice.”
Please follow these simple tips on how to stay safe and have fun during your stay in beautiful North Wales:
Getting there safely:
- Many travel to festivals by car and for younger drivers it might be their first long journey at the wheel. With a little care and preparation you can make sure you arrive in one piece and, just as importantly, get home safely too.
- Before you set off make sure your vehicle is in good condition. Check that you have sufficient oil, fuel, water and screen wash and that your tyres are in good condition and correctly pressurised.
- Plan your journey:
- Think ahead and plan your route. Allow yourself extra time in case of delays.
- Wakestock will be running a shuttle bus service between the site, Caernarfon, Bangor, Porthmadog, Criccieth and Hafan y Môr. For further information please visit the Wakestock website.
When you get there:
- After arriving and parking up check to make sure your car is properly secured and everything of value is hidden from view – including your sat nav.
Travelling in between festival sites:
- Please note: the road between the festival site and Abersoch or Pwllheli is busy and has almost no pedestrian footpaths. For the duration of the festival this is designated as a pedestrian free zone and this will be enforced by the police. Please use the shuttle bus service to move between the festival site and the neighbouring towns and villages. Further information including a timetable is available via the Wakestock website.
Keep your belongings safe:
- When you arrive take time to think about how you will keep your belongings safe once on site. Tents are, by their very nature, not very secure. If you are spending a lot of time wandering around the festival then your tent will spend a lot of time alone.
- Don’t leave valuables in your tent when it’s unattended – in fact, limit the number of valuables to bring with you. You won’t really need that designer bag, watch and expensive sunglasses whilst there will you?
- Last year hundreds of phones and other gadgets were handed to or recovered by police and sadly the majority were never reunited with their owners because police had no way of knowing who they belonged to. But registering your phone, iPod etc on the Immobilise database (www.immobilise.com) can vastly increase your chances of seeing it again if you do lose it. It will only take a couple of minutes but best of all its completely free! If you have a smart phone it’s also a good idea to download the ‘find my phone’ app which could help police track down your phone if lost or stolen.
Keep yourself safe:
- Wakestock operates a Challenge 25 policy which means anyone who appears to be under the age of 25 will be asked for ID at the entrance and at the bars when buying alcohol. Visit the Wakestock FAQ section of the website for further info (www.wakestock.co.uk/faq/)
- Be careful with the amount of alcohol you drink. Remember – alcohol impairs your judgement. Drinking to excess could lead you to getting into situations that you would otherwise avoid.
- Don’t bring drugs or ‘legal highs’ – if you are found with substances you could be arrested and removed from the festival – and maybe spend a night in the cells for your efforts. Remember ‘legal highs’ does not mean safe. Often it just means that they are yet to be tested and regulated. They can be extremely dangerous and anyone found with suspected ‘legal highs’ will be ejected from the festival. Further information regarding ‘legal highs’ is available via http://aiforg.com/initiatives/legal-highs/
- For information on drugs and alcohol and their effects please visit the Dan247 website (www.dan247.org.uk)
- Look after yourself and your friends.
- There will be a 24-hour on-site welfare team on hand – please visit the Wakestock website for more information.
- Don’t be flash with your cash – be sensible and only bring the amount of cash with you that you think you will need. ATM’s will be situated in the main arena – alternative cashpoint facilities are available in Pwllheli or Abersoch.
- Further advice on how to stay safe at festivals is available via the NHS website (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Festivalhealth/Pages/Safety.aspx)
