Police agree Cheltenham Festival action plan and vow to combat growing issues

Police have warned that escalating drug use, anti-social behaviour and violence towards women during Cheltenham Festival week are serious problems that need to be tackled before next year's meeting.

Gloucestershire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Chris Nelson, chaired a meeting at the racecourse with the local council, MPs Alex Chalk and Laurence Robertson and the Jockey Club, in which an action plan was formed to address problems in the town during its biggest four days.

Anti-social behaviour, with alcohol a contributing factor, was the most prominent issue raised by residents, with urinating in gardens and parks causing "distress" for some residents. A restriction of pub and bar opening hours to combat drunken behaviour was discussed but not understood to be a main focus of the meeting.

Instead, more attention will be aimed at tackling an increase in illegal drugs, with Nelson vowing to take action regarding the use of cannabis and cocaine during the week. The police have identified trains as one particular way drugs are transported into the town during the four-day meeting and already run operations to combat this issue.

Nelson said: "Cheltenham has a bit of a problem; [the use of] recreational drugs such as cannabis and cocaine is sadly on the increase and I think too many people think there are no adverse consequences. It leads to all sorts of other crime.

"There's no shortage of activities we can do in order to fight drugs; definitely from my point of view I'll give that more attention. When you get drugs as well as alcohol you get lack of control. I'm keen to make sure changes are implemented."

Cheltenham Festival: police raised concerns over prospect of fifth dayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

According to a survey in 2021 by Cheltenham borough council, 75 per cent of women feel unsafe on the town's streets at night during festival week – a three per cent rise from typical weeks – and stopping misogynistic behaviour and violence is one of the priorities for Nelson's team.

"I've spoken to a lot of women. They get touched up, there's misogynistic behaviour when someone is drunk," Nelson added. "That's the sort of behaviour that women feel afraid of during raceweek; the borough's own survey revealed quite a high number of women feel uncomfortable. It's one of my priorities."

The action plan agreed to more temporary toilet facilities on the routes from the town to the racecourse, with additional signage and marshals to control the area.

The prospect of a fifth day at the festival was also brought up at the meeting in the latest phase of the consultation process. Chalk and Robertson expressed support for the prospect when asked by the Racing Post last month but from a policing perspective it would bring challenges.

"It would be an additional load on the police and a serious load," Nelson said. "What happens is other things in the force have to go on the back burner so it wouldn't be without consequences.

"I haven't seen a formal response for the constabulary. It works with the local community so if they, the council and business wanted it then I don't think they would say no."

This year's Cheltenham Festival attracted a record crowd of 280,627.

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