T in the Park, the biggest outdoor music festival in Scotland, was at the centre of an attempted murder investigation today after an attack on two men, a sexual assault and an unrelated death.
Two 20-year-old men were found with serious abdominal injuries on a walkway between the main arena and the festival campsite at about 11.50pm yesterday. Three men, all in their 20s, have been arrested.
In a separate incident, David Catto, from Newtonhill, near Aberdeen, collapsed on Friday night as he made his way back from the festival arena to a campsite. The cause of death is unknown. His death was described by T in the Park organiser, Geoff Ellis, as a tragedy.
In a third incident, a woman was pushed over and sexually assaulted near the bus parking area on Saturday.
Detective Inspector Steve Bissett, of Tayside police, appealed for witnesses to come forward.
He said of the attack on the two men: "This has been a particularly disturbing incident where two men have sustained very serious injuries. This was the time when the majority of campers were making their way back to the campsite following the closure of the arena entertainment.
"It's possible some campers may have captured vital images of the incident on cameras or mobile phones, and a number of others will have witnessed the assault.
"I would urge anyone who witnessed these incidents or anyone who may have photographs or footage to get in touch with us." Police said three men were helping with inquiries.
There has been criticism of the event on internet forums. On the E-festivals website, Rexclark wrote: "The event was getting worse every year." Keyinboyle82 described "the campsite as full of total idiots, and it's been getting worse for the last 5 years".
Tayside police made 64 arrests, up from 59 last year.
Brendán Burton, who was at the festival, criticised the standard of security. "Security should be better, whether they employ more staff, or perhaps just better staff who are willing to help or look after festival goers," he said.
T in the Park has not responded to the criticisms.