Festival ticket system criticised

All festival goers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult

A mother has raised concerns over how she was able to buy a ticket for her 15-year-old son to attend a music festival without an adult.

Philippa Watt, from Thame, bought an online ticket for her son Peter for the three-day Cornbury Festival, which begins later in Oxfordshire.

The festival's rules state no children under 16 can attend without an adult.

Its organiser said the terms and conditions box had to be ticked by anyone buying an online ticket.

Mrs Watt admitted she had been wrong to buy the ticket, but added organisers should change the way they can be bought in future.

Stewards 'check ages'

"I have other children and they've gone to Reading Festival and others and they won't allow them to buy tickets unless it's linked to an adult ticket," she said.

Hugh Philimore, Cornbury Festival organiser, said: "The computer system cannot stop someone from buying a ticket because it's not linked [to a person's age].

"But we do make sure that you have to tick the terms and conditions box before you proceed.

"Stewards [at the festival] are instructed to check, but its hard to identify the difference between a 14 and 16-year-old."

Mr Philimore added that in the six years the festival had been running there had been no incidents of trouble or teenage misbehaviour.

Among the acts performing at this year's event are The Sugababes, Scouting for Girls and The Pretenders.