OFFICIALS have pulled the plug on a music festival following an undercover police operation.

Durham County Council has revoked the licence for Thimbleberry Festival, in Stanhope, County Durham, signalling the end of the event, which was held twice a year.

Police asked the council to revoke the licence following a major surveillance operation.

Working in pairs, six plainclothed officers visited the festival in September.

Police said they witnessed widespread drug dealing and use, sometimes in the presence of young children.

Inspector Anthony Avery said: “The festival has clearly operated for some time unchecked by the normal administrative process, and this has created an environment where an element of people feel they can commit wanton criminal activity. There is evidence to show there is open drug dealing taking place within the festival and that the level of drug taking, which is ongoing and totally open, is on a massive scale.”

One officer said: “I saw less cannabis drug use in the cafes of Amsterdam. The event was consistent with my experience of an open drug market.”

Sergeant Dave Lyall, from Stanhope police, said: “The issue over the licence is something we would have pursued in any event.

“Feedback and intelligence from the community showed that the festival was an area of concern for residents and we had to act on that.”

However, analysis of pills bought by undercover officers revealed they contained caffeine, not anything illegal.

However, two bags contained powerful cannabis variant skunk.

Legal charges against landowner Andrew Norman, who organised the festival, were dropped last month. Mr Norman had denied allowing cannabis to be consumed on his premises.

Last night, the 51-year-old, of Thimbleberry Hill Farm, Stanhope, said he had no plans to appeal against the decision.

He said: “I have had enough. Weardale can go back to the Dark Ages. It is just unfortunate that all the businesses that benefited from the festival will have to suffer too.”