Six people have been injured after a sign fell at a major Christian music festival in West Sussex, prompting a large emergency response and the cancellation of the remainder of Friday’s programme.
Emergency services were called to Big Church Festival at Wiston Park near Steyning shortly after 3.30pm on Friday, 28 August.
Sussex Police said officers were called at approximately 3.38pm following reports that a sign had fallen and injured a number of people at the festival site.
South East Coast Ambulance Service deployed ambulance crews, critical care paramedics and specialist response teams.
The ambulance service confirmed that six patients were being dealt with following the incident.
The nature and severity of their injuries had not been officially confirmed on Friday evening.
Claims circulating online about individual patients should therefore be treated cautiously until emergency services or festival organisers provide further verified information.
A substantial emergency-services presence remained at Wiston Park during Friday afternoon and evening while crews dealt with the incident.
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Big Church Festival subsequently announced that its programme had been paused following what organisers described as a serious incident on the site.
No further programme will take place on Friday.
Day visitors were instructed to leave the festival, while people camping at the event were told to return to their campsites and await further information.
Organisers said they were working closely with emergency services and the relevant authorities and would issue further announcements when more information became available.
It was not immediately clear on Friday evening whether the remaining weekend programme would be able to continue as originally planned.
The festival is taking place at Wiston House near Steyning over the August Bank Holiday weekend and describes itself as the UK’s biggest Christian festival.
The event features Christian music, worship and entertainment and attracts thousands of visitors to the West Sussex site.
Police also warned that the emergency response was likely to cause traffic disruption around the area and advised members of the public to use alternative routes where possible.
Some reports have suggested strong winds may have been involved in the sign falling. However, the official emergency-service statements available on Friday evening confirm that a sign fell and injured people but do not establish the precise cause of the incident.
It would therefore be premature to attribute the accident to weather conditions until investigators or festival organisers confirm what happened.
Further information is expected as emergency services complete their response and the condition of those injured becomes clearer.
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Sources
ITV News Meridian – Several People Injured at Big Church Festival
The Independent – Six People Injured After Sign Falls at Big Church Festival
