By Nick Griffiths Crime Reporter

Last updated at 12:44, Thursday, 01 September 2011

Police said there were only 10 crimes reported during Cumbria’s Solfest music festival – and have praised organisers for keeping the event mainly trouble free.

Good times: Fans watch the Saw Doctors on stage

Officers say complaints included two assaults, a number of purse thefts and a yob being drunk-and-disorderly, but added offences were at “an all time low”.

Thousands attended the festival at The Tarns, near Aspatria, which kept campers entertained with a string of music acts from Friday to Sunday.

Despite the numbers on site, police said it remained a weekend for families and said everybody seemed to enjoy themselves.

Inspector Dennis Kelly, the police chief for the patch covering Aspatria, said: “I praise the organisers of the festival, who kept crime at an all-time low.

“Even though it is a little disappointing that we received reports of thefts, this was a small number compared to the number of people who attended the event. This was a family-orientated festival, which appears to have influenced the behaviour of those who attended.”

A man was found dead by first-aiders at the event’s campsite on Tuesday.

The body of William Shepherd, 56, of Wigton, was discovered at about 9.30am. Organisers said he was not a ticket holder or a member of staff.

Insp Kelly added: “We sadly received a report of a sudden death.

“It was quickly established that there were no suspicious circumstances and we have passed the details onto the coroner.”

The event, a fixture on the Cumbrian musical calendar for a number of years, was headlined by The Saw Doctors, The Damned and The Stranglers.

Other acts taking to its stages included Utah Saints, Cast and UK Subs.

First published at 11:27, Thursday, 01 September 2011
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk