By James Aldridge, local democracy reporter

A teenager from East Peckham has spoken out after suffering severe burns on the last day of the Reading Festival.

As fires raged across camping areas on Sunday August 28, the final day of the festival was described as a 'war zone', while there were reports of dangerous liquids being thrown into fires.

Leone Cook was burned next to one such campfire and has spoken of the ordeal of finding medical attention and the potential long term consequences of her injuries.

The 18-year-old from East Peckham, who attended the festival last year and this year, was sat near a camp fire when liquid suddenly exploded over her.

Her mum, Tracey Cook, 51, said: “We’re not sure what it was, but whatever it was it it went all over her, from her ankle up to her thigh, and on her face as well.

“That was horrific.”

"We don't know if the fire was booby-trapped or if someone put something on the fire. They were sitting around the fire and she was sitting there with a cup of tea - all of a sudden there was an explosion and a flash of light, and the next thing she was on the floor screaming with a crowd of people around her."

Leone was then assisted by a security guard, but they say care was “poor” and she was not immediately taken to hospital for treatment.

Leone said: “They said it was too hard an ambulance to get to where I was, but we had seen ambulances go past for other things during the day.

“I thought the medical service was really poor, but the police were really good.

“They asked for an ambulance.

“I got told I had to walk to the nearest medical tent.

“I couldn’t be carried, because no one could touch my leg because of the burns.”

Having walked to the medical tent, with the help of her boyfriend and police officers, Leone then had to wait to be assessed at the medical tent and was eventually taken by ambulance to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

After spending a night at the hospital in Reading, she began receiving care in Maidstone, and is now under going treatment at a burns unit in East Grinstead.

Care she received involved medication to dampen the pain and hours of surgery to remove burnt skin.

Leone said the time waiting to get to hospital “made things worse” as her treatment was delayed.

The incident will have long term consequences on her life, while in the short term, she will no longer be able to attend the University of Portsmouth as intended.

She added: “I’m going to have to go on a gap year because I can’t walk.

“It’s going to take at least two months to be able to go out again.

“I’m not allowed to be exposed to the sun for at least two months and the burns will take a year to heal.

“I’ll also have to use factor 50 whenever I’m out in the sun for the rest of my life.”

She has also had to cancel driving lessons and is unable to work.

Ms Cook went to Reading Festival in 2021 but said this year was worse, adding: “Probably just because of Covid no one has been out.”

The scenes at the festival this year have been compared to Woodstock ’99, which erupted in chaos on its last night and was the subject of the documentary ‘Trainwreck’ which was released on Netflix in August.

“I’ve heard of that film [ Trainwreck] but haven’t watched it," said Leone. “I don’t know, last year it was fine and this year it was horrible.

“Last year we could hear things happening in the distance, but there was no one throwing things last year, I didn’t see anyone setting tents on fire, but this year it was horrible.

“People were throwing things over the hedge like poles and bottles of urine, and I could hear people shouting let’s make a molotov cocktail!”

Her mum argued security was inadequate and the organisers, Festival Republic, need to be held responsible.

Mrs Cook said: “I’ve complained but all I’ve got is automated calls and emails.

“Because of the explosion that hit Leone someone else’s tent caught fire and melted.

“The safeguarding was just not there."

"I could hear people shouting let’s make a molotov cocktail!"

“Reading Festival need to be held accountable for not being prepared and having the facilities to deal with what happened.

“What went on that day needs to be addressed.”

Festival Republic is investigating Ms Cook’s case.

A Festival Republic spokesperson said: “We are in in touch with the family involved in this reported incident and are working with all authorities and medical services whilst we investigate this.”

As for the wider reports of fires and disorder, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “There were some fires in the campsite on Sunday, but festival security had water pumps and extinguished these within minutes.

"There was some disorder in the campsite at about 4.30pm on Sunday, but this was dealt with within minutes by festival security and about fifty people were ejected from the site.

“Those ejected were safeguarded by the festival organisers, Thames Valley Police, and British Transport Police to ensure they could get home safely.”