Archbishop of Canterbury ‘sad and shocked’ after Christian festival death

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said she was “sad and shocked” to hear that a man died after a large sign fell at a Christian festival.

Police were called to the scene at the Big Church Festival (BCF) off Washington Road near Steyning, on Friday afternoon, where the man, 41, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was pronounced dead.

Organisers of the BCF, billed as the UK’s biggest Christian Festival, said they were “devastated by the serious incident” which also injured six others.

Archbishop Dame Sarah Mullally said: “I pray for his family, friends and loved ones as they grieve.

“I pray for those receiving treatment, and the healthcare workers looking after them.

“And I pray too for the other festival goers, staff and event organisers as they come to terms with these tragic events.

“May the God of comfort and healing be with them all.”

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Six patients in total were assessed and treated at the scene.

“Four of those patients were taken to a local hospitals for further treatment, including two patients with more serious injuries and two patients with less serious injuries.”

The spokesman added: “Our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly lost his life, and with everyone affected by this tragic incident.”

Organisers have now cancelled the rest of the event, had been due to run Sunday, after the death on the opening day.

ParentFuel, a  Christian parent support organisation, said its people who attended the festival were ”all devasted but safe”.

In a statement, it added: ”We cannot praise the BCF team enough for the way things have been handled.

“We are currently sat in the volunteer tent with a brew in hand, worship music being played and the warmth of chatter around us.

“What happened was awful. It was a freak accident. But God is still good.”

It added: “Life is so precious and so so short.

“This weekend brought that ever closer for us all.”

On Saturday festival-goer Ralph Scrutton posted: “The mood across the campsite is understandably subdued and melancholy, with people slowly waking up, packing down, and getting ready to leave the site.

“There’s a real sense of quietness this morning, with people reflecting on the events of yesterday. Keep praying church, for all those involved.”

The deceased’s next of kin have been told and are being supported by specialist officers, Sussex Police said.

The incident has been reported to the Health and Safety Executive and local authority, the force added.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh said: “I recognise the immense distress this will have caused people at the festival, and we are working with a number of partners as we seek to establish exactly what happened.

“We know there were thousands of people at the festival and we’re urging anyone with any information, or any relevant video footage, to please come forward.”

Anyone with information which could help police is asked to report it online or call 101 and quote Operation Igloo.