Father reveals teen son's fears he was 'going to die' after 'being spiked at Boardmasters' - but festival organisers deny any incidents
Brothers Cooper, 17, and Charlie May, 19, attended the five-day event in Newquay, Cornwall, which took place from August 8 until August 10 of this year.
But while enjoying watching headline act RAYE in the midst of a bustling crowd, what was supposed to be a fun a weekend away took a dark turn for the youngest sibling.
His father Roly May, better known as Daddy May on social media, said while in the crowd Cooper suddenly began to 'freak out', feeling 'really hot' and 'weird'.
Roly told The Daily Mail: 'His mates were kind of conscious that potentially he might have been spiked because there's a lot of chat going around about it.'
The May family have well over two million social media followers across their social media channels, with droves of fans flocking to take snaps with Cooper at the event.
And as such, when the youngster decided to head back to his tent after the suspected spiking, he opted to not attend a medical tent to avoid being spotted by fans.
'He'd already been getting a bit of quite a bit of attention and he just didn't want to put himself in with everyone else when he was feeling that way,' his father added.
But, shortly after arriving back to his tent the 17-year-old feared falling asleep.
'He didn't want to go to sleep because I think he thought he was gonna die basically,' Roly added. 'So he was really conscious about going to bed.
However, the event soon took a dark turn for the youngster while he was watching the headline act on August 8, as he and his parents believed he was spiked
'He said he finally got to sleep around four in the morning and then they found the spike mark on his arm.
'That's when they assumed it, [a spiking] had happened,' the father added. 'He can't explain it any other way.'
It comes as claims surfaced online that Boardmasters concertgoers were being spiked with needles in the crowd.
However, organisers have said anti-social behaviour was 'significantly' down this year.
There were 14 suspected spiking incidents this year, down from 55 in 2024, according to a spokesperson, with none testing positive for drugs in their system.
In a statement they said online claims were 'misinformation' and spiking had not been a 'prevalent issue' at the event over the last two years.
Boardmasters also said drug-related incidents had fallen from 2.65 to 1.79 percent in 2025, with zero hospitalisations over the weekend.
They described the 'clear reduction in anti-social behaviour, including sexual assault,' this year as 'encouraging', before adding that 'even one incident is too many.'
In 2024, research conducted by Drinkaware and Anglia Ruskin University suggested 90 percent of spiking incidents went unreported to police.
Despite the event's denial of any spikings, parents Roly and Katy have called on the festival to take actions instead of 'burying their heads in the sand.'
They raised concerns over security, alleging there were a lack of patrols on campsite, and threats had been made to set Cooper's tent on fire.
'They've got to do something. Year on year it's becoming worse and worse because everyone's kind of getting smarter about bringing things in,' Roly said.
'I think they're setting themselves up for a massive problem,' he added. 'I don't want Boardmasters to be stopped, I just want it to be safe.
'I feel like its an inevitable problem they they're going to give themselves because they're not listening and they're just kind of burying their head in the sand.
Regarding the effects of the alleged spiking on Cooper, his mother Katy said: 'I don't know what he'll feel like if he did get into another crowd.
'I'm not so sure he'll feel that comfortable.
'It's really difficult because obviously, he is also a teenager, so when we ask the question, he doesn't necessarily want to talk to us.
'It definitely has affected him, but as you know, we don't know really the extent of the effect on him yet because it's only just happened.'
Boardmasters have said they are unable to comment on Cooper's experience as there is no record of him using medical or welfare facilities at the festival.
The festival said 'spiking of any kind is not acceptable or tolerated', and anyone found doing so at the event would be reported to police and evicted from the festival immediately.
It also echoed a similar message for anti-social behaviour, including tent burning, citing their swift action to shut down planned anti-social behaviour on the last night of the festival.
Boardmasters also stated they could 'categorically confirm that staff patrol the campsites 24 hours a day throughout the duration of the festival', including security staff as well as campsite managers.
It also added CCTV is in place across 'key areas' of the event, and that 'all welfare, security, and support services are directly linked [to their] central Event Control Room to ensure a continuous presence, rapid response and the highest level of safety for the audience.'
The festival encouraged festivalgoers to visit medical and welfare facilities or ask a steward or member of staff for help if they have issues 'no matter how big or small'.
'Boardmasters cannot control the behaviour of others but take every step possible to educate everyone on respect and creating a safe and inclusive environment for all.
They added: 'If the festival is notified of any on site issues, the team will make efforts to swiftly deal with them.'
They also stated that 'unfortunately' spiking and antisocial behaviour were societal issues which can occur in everyday life.
Last week, Boardmasters CEO Andrew Topham said the event was committed to improving safety at their festival after the event announced there were zero spiking reports at the event.
'While one incident is always one too many, this reduction shows that the work we do, alongside our partners, is making a real difference.
'We remain committed to creating a space where everyone, of all ages, can enjoy the festival safely and respectfully, and doing everything we can to prevent harm whilst supporting those affected.
He added: 'We will continue to invest in on-site support services, ensuring every attendee has access to the care, guidance, and protection they need while at the festival.'
Devon & Cornwall Police Inspector for Newquay, Steve Johnson, said: 'This year we saw a reduction in the number of incidents reported to police in relation to Boardmasters, with a total of six arrests made.
'In both the planning phase and during the festival we worked closely with partner agencies to create and implement robust plans which promoted a safe and smooth-running event for those attending and for the local community.
'I'd like to thank the officers, festival staff and all the partners who played a part in bringing those plans together and delivering a safe event.'
Devon and Cornwall Police received a report of a needle spiking, however this is understood to have been unconfirmed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why teachers' reactions Adolescence reveal ‘problem with schooling'
The writer and co-creator of hit Netflix series Adolescence has revealed his concerns to teachers ' reactions to the show. Jack Thorne said teachers' responses to the show showed 'we've got a real problem in our country' when it comes to schooling. The four-part series explores misogyny among teenage boys and prompted a national conversation about online safety when it was released in March. Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Thorne said: 'I worked in a school, (executive producer) Hannah (Walters) spent a long time in schools, and we both had a real passion to talk about schools that aren't doing so well. 'And it was so interesting the response, because there was teachers going, 'That would never happen in schools', and then other teachers going, 'You've got that spot on'. 'And what that showed is, we've got a real problem in our country, because there's a certain level of schooling which is complacent about the schools that we're allowing to sink.' One of the episodes in the series is filmed in a school and shows Ashley Walters ' character, DI Luke Bascombe, interviewing children who are friendly with 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who has been accused of murdering his school friend. Also in the session, Netflix executive Mona Qureshi, responded to Channel 4 news boss Louisa Compton accusing the streamer of behaving like 'TV tourists' earlier at the TV festival. Compton also called the channel 'proud parents' of Adolescence because of the opportunities they had given Thorne and actor and co-creator Stephen Graham over the years, according to reports. 'I don't think I'm a tourist,' Qureshi said. 'Nothing about where I am and where we sit and the conversations we had about and around Adolescence at the beginning really came out of anything other than us.' Thorne said he 'started out' with Channel 4, adding: 'I'm really grateful for Channel 4, but I'm excited that Netflix is moving into this space.' In March, Thorne, 46, spoke to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Downing Street about the issues raised in the drama. This Is England star Graham co-created the drama with Thorne and starred as Eddie Miller, the father of Jamie. The series took months of preparation and rehearsals so that each episode could be filmed in one continuous shot, which was praised by viewers of the show. The show has received 13 Emmy nominations, including for its young star Cooper, for best supporting actor in a limited series.
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Officers were ‘covered in blood' after Pc shot with a crossbow
A police officer who was shot by a man with a crossbow said he lost so much blood that his colleagues were 'covered' in it. On Wednesday, a sentencing hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court heard police had been called after Jason King stabbed neighbour Alistair Mahwuto with a 'small knife' during an altercation, arising out of a 'long-standing' dispute. Police attended the scene in School Close in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, where King shot repeatedly at them using a crossbow before chasing them with the weapon and shooting officer Pc Curtis Foster, the court was told. The 55-year-old was later shot once by police in the stomach after refusing to put down the weapon when confronted by officers on May 10 last year, the court heard. Footage released by Thames Valley Police shows King, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, running across a road, pursuing the officers while pointing a crossbow. Pc Foster said of the incident: 'My recollection of the early moments when I arrived on scene was the street was empty, it was eerily quiet, no sign of the suspect and we then saw the victim who showed us a stab wound in the abdomen. 'I ascertained King had a crossbow when he removed the upstairs window to his property. He literally took the whole window out of its frame and then he was pointing something out of the window and I could see a red glint and then I realised it was a crossbow and that's when he took two shots at me out the window.' The officer added that he knew something had 'impacted' him but his adrenaline levels were 'so high' that he could not feel much pain. As a result, Pc Foster carried on running and helped clear members of the public away from the scene, despite his injury. Bodyworn camera footage shows the officer saying he thinks he has been shot and telling people to 'get back' into their houses as there is a man armed with a crossbow. Pc Foster said: 'I kind of first realised I was bleeding quite a lot when I could feel it running down my leg, and then I touched my leg above my trousers and my whole palm of my hand was red where it had gone through my trousers already so I thought yeah, I'm losing quite a lot of blood already.' He continued: 'There was a lot of blood. 'My two colleagues that turn up initially on scene were covered in my blood, that's how much blood I'd lost and when we got to the hospital the doctor had a feel of it and said I was really lucky it didn't strike an artery, it was a couple of centimetres away from hitting an artery in my leg.' Another clip shows King being confronted by an armed officer who shouts at him to 'stay still' before the officer fires one shot. The officer then runs over to King while other voices can be heard calling for paramedics. The armed officer, who cannot be named, said shooting King was 'the worst thing I've ever had to do' but that it 'neutralised a threat and kept everyone safe'. Further footage shows a police dog handler shouting to colleagues that King had attempted to shoot police dog Merlyn. Pc Foster has since made a full recovery from his injuries, police have said, while King was taken to hospital and discharged 10 days later. Judge Jonathan Cooper jailed King for nine years with a further three years on extended licence. He previously pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding, having an article with a blade or point, having an offensive weapon, wounding with intent and affray.
Daily Mail
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Met Police's use of live facial recognition is 'unlawful', equality watchdog warns
The use of live facial recognition by Britain's biggest police force is 'unlawful' and not compatible with human rights laws, the equalities watchdog has said. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has claimed Scotland Yard's rules and safeguards fall short of standards and could have a 'chilling effect' on individuals' rights when deployed at protests. Live facial recognition (LFR) is set to be deployed by the force at Notting Hill Carnival over the August bank holiday weekend. More than one million people are expected to converge on the streets of west London for the annual celebration. And Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has already sought to reassure campaign groups that the technology will be used without bias. And a spokesman from the force said it believes its use of the tool is 'both lawful and proportionate, playing a key role in keeping Londoners safe.' The EHRC has been given permission to intervene in an upcoming judicial review over LFR, brought by privacy campaigner Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo and anti-knife crime community worker Shaun Thompson. They are seeking the legal challenge claiming Mr Thompson was 'grossly mistreated' after LFR wrongly identified him as a criminal last year. EHRC chief executive John Kirkpatrick said the technology, when used responsibly, can help combat serious crime and keep people safe, but the biometric data being processed is 'deeply personal'. 'The law is clear: everyone has the right to privacy, to freedom of expression and to freedom of assembly. These rights are vital for any democratic society,' he said. 'As such, there must be clear rules which guarantee that live facial recognition technology is used only where necessary, proportionate and constrained by appropriate safeguards. 'We believe that the Metropolitan Police's current policy falls short of this standard. The Met, and other forces using this technology, need to ensure they deploy it in ways which are consistent with the law and with human rights.' The watchdog said it believes the Met's policy is 'unlawful' because it is 'incompatible' with Articles 8, right to privacy, 10, freedom of expression, and 11, freedom of assembly and association of the European Convention on Human Rights. Big Brother Watch interim director Rebecca Vincent said the involvement of EHRC in the judicial review was hugely welcome in the 'landmark legal challenge'. 'The rapid proliferation of invasive live facial recognition technology without any legislation governing its use is one of the most pressing human rights concerns in the UK today,' she said. 'Live facial recognition surveillance turns our faces into barcodes and makes us a nation of suspects who, as we've seen in Shaun's case, can be falsely accused, grossly mistreated and forced to prove our innocence to authorities.' 'Given this crucial ongoing legal action, the Home Office and police's investment in this dangerous and discriminatory technology is wholly inappropriate and must stop.' It comes as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended plans to expand LFR across the country to catch 'high-harm' offenders last week. Last month, the Metropolitan Police announced plans to expand its use of the technology across the capital. Police bosses said LFR will now be used up to ten times per week across five days, up from the current four times per week across two days. A Met spokesman said the force welcomes the EHRC's recognition of the technology's potential in policing, and that the Court of Appeal has confirmed police can use LFR under common law powers. 'As part of this model, we have strong safeguards in place, with biometric data automatically deleted unless there is a match," they said. 'Independent research from the National Physical Laboratory has also helped us configure the technology in a way that avoids discrimination.'
