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Five arrests in since 2014 at festival

Sat, 21 Jul 2018

A Freedom of Information request has revealed just five arrests have been made at the Castletown Festival since 2014.

Last year's event had to change its schedule at short notice after the organisers were threatened with prosecution.

The Isle of Man Constabulary described the event as the most heavily policed on the Island outside the TT, but figures revealed by the Constabulary show just five arrests at the last four festivals.

One arrest resulted in a charge which was withdrawn at court while another faced no proceedings.

A statement released by police last year claimed behaviour in the evening at previous events had led to a number of arrests, including for assault, criminal damage and breaches of the Public Order Act.

The response to the Freedom of Information request insists the police's job at the event involves ensuring that peace is upheld and crime is prevented and detected, and that resorting to arrest is just one of the ways this is managed.

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