POLICE have opposed a plan to stage a festival because its poor application did not even show how it would maintain social distancing.

The festival would take place on ten acres of private land just south of Ryall Quarry near Upton across the Bank Holiday weekend, according to a plan put forward by Homara Mushtaq.

The application proposes a “a weekend of camping with food and non-alcoholic drink stalls and live entertainment” between August 28 and August 30 but West Mercia Police immediately objected to the plan over its overwhelming lack of detail.

Up to 450 would be allowed to attend if the three-day temporary event notice was granted.

Officers said they had contacted Ms Mushtaq over the phone but could not be told a long list of essential details including the exact location of the festival, how social distancing measures would be obeyed, how the spread of coronavirus would be kept to a minimum in the festival and in the surrounding areas and how traffic and access would be dealt with.

Police said the people behind the festival could also not provide any details on security and had not addressed any of the important licensing objectives including preventing crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.

The applicant had also not said whether children would be allowed, how loud music would be and if anything was being sold on the site.

Police licensing officers had made Ms Mushtaq aware they would be objecting to the festival and had been promised a more detailed plan at the end of July which they have yet to receive.

Upton Blues Festival, which should have been held in July, and the town's Sunshine Festival, which is usually held across the August Bank Holiday weekend, were both cancelled this year because of the coronavirus.

Malvern Hills District Council's licensing subcommittee meets from 2pm on Thursday, August 13.