{"id":21934,"date":"2013-07-26T09:53:02","date_gmt":"2013-07-26T09:53:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=8f634306c6b93105280044ee6fa2841a"},"modified":"2013-07-26T09:53:02","modified_gmt":"2013-07-26T09:53:02","slug":"news-story-british-consulate-advises-britons-travelling-to-belgian-music-festivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=21934","title":{"rendered":"News story: British Consulate advises Britons travelling to Belgian music festivals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A video on YouTube<\/a> contrasts the fun of pop and rock festivals with victims of crime talking about how having their stuff stolen ruined a good time. It\u2019s already attracting thousands of views.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin a minute, we turned round, the bag was gone\u201d, says one British music fan. \u201cI\u2019d been warned but you never think it\u2019s going to happen to you\u201d, adds another, as the video shows victims who found out just how quickly and easily things can disappear.<\/p>\n

The video\u2019s message – \u201cMake sure you spend your time at the festival, not with us\u201d \u2013 aims to encourage music fans and tourists to keep their belongings safe.<\/p>\n

Gary Walsh, British Pro-Consul Brussels says:<\/p>\n

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Two simple steps can help you avoid becoming a victim of crime at festivals and busy tourist locations. First, treat your passport as a valuable document: if it gets lost or stolen you\u2019ll spend your holiday applying for a travel document to get you home. Second, keep your valuables with you at all times, and keep an eye on them! A bag over the back of a chair or on the floor in a restaurant or bar is such an easy target. Also keep an eye out especially for your smartphone as they are often targeted during festivals; be aware when standing in line or buying drinks or food.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Getting a replacement travel document is both time-consuming and expensive, and British Consulates, which are always busier during music festivals and the peak tourist season, say the more cases they can prevent, the better.<\/p>\n

Viewers are encouraged to embed it on their websites or share it with friends, to ensure the message gets seen as widely as possible.<\/p>\n

Follow UKinBelgium on Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a> for the latest news.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UK music fans heading for festivals and concerts across Belgium this summer are being warned to keep their possessions safe from thieves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21934"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21934\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}