Two people in critical condition after suspected MDMA overdose at Reminisce Festival

A message was sent around earlier in the day warning festival-goers about a ‘bad’ batch of pills

The events will undoubtedly lead to greater calls from campaigners for drug testing at festivals (Reminisce)

Two people are in a critical condition after suffering suspected MDMA overdoses at a dance music festival in Merseyside.

Police believe the 19-year-old woman and 22-year old man were thought to have taken the drug, known as ecstasy, with a number of others also rushed to hospital with suspected overdoses.

Earlier in the day, Reminisce Festival had posted a warning about “‘bad’ blue diamond pills”.

The message said: “We love to see you having an awesome time at Reminisce, but be safe! There has been information about some 'bad' blue diamond pills.

“If you are concerned about you or a friend approach some help from stewards or present to one of the onsite medical centres.”

Police subsequently urged partygoers to avoid taking pills that were distributed during the event.

Detective Inspector Paul Grounds said: “These are the early stages of our investigation but I want to reassure those affected that we are doing everything possible to identify exactly what substance or substances have resulted in these severe reactions, working alongside the health service.

“We initially believe that ecstasy tablets were taken by some of those in hospital but this is all subject to further enquiries. I would urge anyone else who has had an adverse reaction to any substance make themselves known to medical services as soon as possible.

“Likewise, if you are still in possession of any drugs from the event, please do not take them under any circumstances but let us know and we will recover them for further enquiries to be made.”

Saturday’s events will undoubtedly lead to greater calls from campaigners for drug testing at festivals. As reported by The Independent, events have faced increasing pressure to provide drug testing facilities and support after the deaths of two people in May.

Georgia Jones, 18, and Tommy Cowan, 20, both died of a MDMA overdose at Mutiny Festival in Portsmouth after reports that high-strength ecstasy tablets called Silver Audis – which are three times as potent as normal doses of the drug – were circulating at the event.

Festivals that have implemented drug testing measures have reported positive outcomes. Britain’s only drug-testing charity The Loop were present at Love Saves the Day in Bristol, which took place on the same weekend as Mutiny Festival with super-strength Silver Audis also in circulation. The festival’s organisers said the service proved highly effective.

The service sees chemists quickly test recreational substances submitted by users with healthcare professionals then discussing the results on a one-to-one basis, providing harm reduction advice, while stressing they do not condone drug use. The Loop’s analysis at the Bristol festival found one in eight ecstasy tablets had been mis-sold by dealers, with the pills instead containing over 100mg of pentylone, a high dosage of a psychoactive substance.

Speaking in May, the director at Love Saves The Day Tom Paine said: “The terrible tragedy in Portsmouth highlights just how serious the problem is that we are all trying to tackle together. But initiatives like this are undoubtedly saving lives in today’s climate.”

Other festivals have also reported success with the measures. Secret Garden Party reduced drug-related hospital admissions by 95 per cent in 2017, while Boomtown Festival credited testing with bringing drug-related incidents onsite down by 25 per cent.