Concert complaints prompt council apology

Derby City Council has apologised after people complained of long bar queues, heavy-handed security and sound problems at a three-day series of concerts in the city.

The council-run Darley Park Concert took place from 30 August to 1 September and included performances from Jason Donovan, Chesney Hawkes, Honeyz and Sinfonia Viva.

Vanessa Millitt, who goes every year, said they faced a long queue to get in and her 11-month-old grandson was ordered by security to drink water they had brought with them "to prove it was not anything else".

City council leader Nadine Peatfield said she was sorry some customers had a negative experience but the restrictions were part of recommendations by safety advisory groups.

Mrs Millitt, from Hilton in Derbyshire, who went with her husband, children, and grandson, told BBC Radio Derby it was "the worst year".

"It's one of our family traditions. This one was the first one for my grandson," she said.

The 54-year-old said on Sunday, they were queuing for 30 to 40 minutes to get through security.

"There was a lady who was pregnant who was asked to prove she was pregnant and not stashing booze in her clothes. I don't know what she did," she said.

Mrs Millitt said she had to throw flasks of tea and coffee away which "she has always taken".

"I did have a water bottle with squash in that they made a 10-year-old - a relative of ours - drink to prove it wasn't booze," she said.

"My son was carrying a sealed bottle of water, and they told my 11-month-old grandson to have a drink of the water to prove it was not anything else."

She said people in the queue were "really stressed, really angry" and when the show got under way, they could "hardly hear" Sinfonia Viva and the presenters.

"The atmosphere just was not the same. People got their flags confiscated - they used to give out flags," she said.

"It used to be a real British picnic and wasn't this year at all."

Concert-goer Jodie Hunt previously told Radio Derby: "I have no problem with not being able to take alcohol providing there are enough vendors to deal with the amount of people there, and there just wasn't.

"We queued for an hour for soft drinks. I think it's unacceptable."

Ms Peatfield said in a statement: "Restrictions on furniture allowances, unsealed drinks and alcohol are all part of the recommendations of safety advisory groups and counter-terrorism advisors."

She added she accepted queues to get in on Sunday were "too long", and they would be making amendments for next year.

She added on Saturday, there was a temporary power and wi-fi connectivity issue, caused by a generator failure, which led to bar delays.

Ms Peatfield added extra staff were put on, and they have committed to "significantly increasing" the bar offer for next year, as well as contingencies for any further power outages.

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.