Thieves launch raid on event being held in Chiswick House Gardens
One of the sessions taking place at the Happy Place Festival. Picture: Facebook
Stall holders participating in the Happy Place Festival face losses of over a thousand pounds after thieves struck the night before the event.
A tent village had been erected on the lawn leading down to the lake in front of Chiswick House on Friday (5 August) in advance of the festival fronted by Fearne Cotton which was focused on wellbeing and healthy living. That evening thieves gained access to the tents and took a significant amount of items being stored overnight in advance of the festival.
A number of independent providers had rented space at the festival which took place on Saturday 6 August and Sunday 7 August and had left goods at the site overnight.
The police say they were called at 8pm but no arrests have been made.
Whether the affected stallholders can claim on insurance remains unclear. There was security at the location overnight but it is understood that no guarantee was given to anyone leaving stock at the venue. One of the participants commented that there were clearly points of vulnerability in the perimeter around the event which would have made access relatively easy.
A spokesperson for the festival organisers said, “The team are saddened about the situation that arose on site across the weekend. There was 24 hour security patrolling the event and grounds across the weekend.
“The situation is an ongoing police investigation and the team are continuing to liaise and communicate closely with stall holders on all further updates.”
Speakers over the weekend included Rylan, DJ Fat Tony, Cel Spellman, Dr Alex George and Tom Walker.
Tickets cost £32.50 and there were a host of activities including yoga classes, a children's area, a food pavilion, creative workshops and a shopping village.
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August 10, 2022
