POLITICIANS and health professionals are calling for an urgent safety and security review at Kendal Calling following the death of a teenager suspected of taking drugs.

Police say that eight other people were hospitalised following alleged substance abuse at the music festival which this year attracted more than 20,000 revellers to Lowther Park.

The death of 18-year-old Christian Pay, of Millom, has prompted an outpouring of anger from other festival-goers who took to social media to vent their disappointment over drugs blighting this year’s event. Among them was Jordan Blackburn, 20, a friend of Christian, who issued a heartfelt ‘it’s not worth it’ plea after he was one of those left critically ill after taking drugs at the festival.

In the wake of the tragedy, the festival organisers, Cumbria Constabulary and Eden District Council – which issues a licence to allow it to take place – have refused to be drawn or comment on whether safety and security should be stepped up for next year’s event.

But other senior figures in the county have called for immediate action to ensure there is no repeat of what happened last weekendat future festivals.

Professor John Ashton, Cumbria's former director for public health, said responsible bodies should adopt a serious case review approach and ‘strike while the iron is hot’.

“This is a major incident and so all the parties involved should do a ‘post mortem’,” he said. “A death is a serious incident and requires full attention. Young people should not be dying. Lessons have to be learned. You have to capture knowledge while it’s fresh.” He added there was a need for a ‘no blame culture’ and that there should be ‘a willingness to talk.’

Cumbria County Councillor Anne Burns, cabinet member for children’s services, said something needed to be done sooner rather than later. “This issue should be raised within a partnership including different councils, police and social workers,” she said. “We don’t want to stop people having a good time but everyone wants people to be safe.

“We need to look at a way to work together so that things like this are held safely. We don’t want to leave any stone left unturned.”

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said: “This is a terrible tragedy and I would support Professor Ashton’s call for a speedy review to get to the bottom of what happened, to help Kendal Calling and others tackle the threat from illegal drugs at future events,” while Furness MP John Woodcock said: "I strongly urge all agencies involved to agree to an urgent review while the incident is fresh."

And though MP for Penrith and The Border Rory Stewart acknowledged lessons could be learned in any situation, but said: “I’m not convinced this is a problem specific to Cumbria. And while an urgent review is understandably being called for, I think there are practical reasons why it cannot take place immediately. An inquiry can often benefit from some distance.”

Police at the festival detected a number of substances including a blue/green tablet with an Adidas logo and a yellow powder, believed to be MDMA and an orange oval tablet with a Rolls Royce logo, a green tablet with a white fleck and a plain grey tablet with a white fleck.

A 29-year-old Bolton woman and two Millom men, aged 19 and 18, were among five hospitalised on Friday, while three men from Manchester, aged 29, 34 and 18, were admitted on Saturday, followed by a Lancaster woman, 20, on Sunday.

Festival-goers raised concerns on Facebook with Liam Smith writing: “All festivals have drug issues but this year was terrible just didn’t have the same vibe this year was a shame.”

One attendee, Kirsty Wylie, who packed up early, wrote: “We camped in near enough the same spot (as last year) but had a lot more trouble and we were surrounded by people shouting for/taking drugs and causing problems. Our tent was broken by someone who was high on something and we had to leave a day early.”

Kendal Calling stresses on its website it operates a ‘zero tolerance policy to drugs'. which states: “The laws of the land are as relevant within the festival field as anywhere else.” According to the licensing agreement, Kendal Calling has a full safety plan in place and employs an undercover security team to target drug dealing and other offences.

Security this year involved sniffer dogs at the gates, bag checks and a drugs amnesty bin.

After the incidents on Friday, strong warning messages were sent out on social media and put up on screens by the main stage.

A Cumbria Police spokesman said: “Officers were on site conducting investigative work and Cumbria Constabulary drug detection dogs were also used as part of the investigation. Police were also part of the multi-agency response following the death of Christian Pay which issued warning and informing advice in conjunction with Kendal Calling. The Force will debrief and take learning to any future safety advisory groups.”

An Eden District Council spokesperson said: “EDC chairs the Safety Advisory Group for Kendal Calling. The group reviews the procedures put in place every year after Kendal Calling to see if any improvements need to be made.”