Man dies after large sign falls at festival in West Sussex

In West Sussex, a 41-year-old man died after a large sign fell at the Big Church Christian festival near Steyning. At least six other people were taken to hospital, Sussex Police said.

The deceased and the injured

The man was a resident of Eastbourne in East Sussex. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident, which occurred on Friday afternoon. The deceased man’s relatives have been informed and are being supported by specialist police officers.

As The Guardian reports, Detective Superintendent Richard McDonough described the incident as tragic and expressed condolences to the deceased man’s family and friends. Police appealed to witnesses with information or video footage to contact law enforcement.

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Festival ended early

After 17:30, Big Church Festival organisers announced on Instagram that the programme had been cancelled and urged day visitors to leave the site immediately. They later announced the early end of the festival, which had been due to continue until Sunday.

In a statement, the organisers said that at least seven people were injured as a result of the sign falling, one of whom died. Police officers remained at the scene in the evening, while people were advised to avoid the area. The Health and Safety Executive and local authorities were also notified about the incident.