A senior Conservative party member and friend of the Prime Minister has been found dead in a backstage portable toilet at Glastonbury festival.

Successful businessman Christopher Shale, chairman of West Oxfordshire Conservative Association, was discovered by officers shortly after 9am on Sunday.

Married father-of-three Mr Shale, 55, helps run Mr Cameron's Witney constituency office.

Festival chief Michael Eavis initially said he had been told the death was a "suicide situation" but a police source later said it was not thought that Mr Shale had killed himself.

Others suggested Mr Shale, who was staying with his family at the site, might have died from a heart attack.





Avon and Somerset Police on Sunday night confirmed that the post-mortem indicated the death "is not suspicious".

"Further tests will be conducted to establish the exact cause of death," a police spokesman said.

Mr Cameron said he and wife Samantha were "devastated" by the news.

"He was a great friend and has been a huge support over the last decade in west Oxfordshire," he said. "A big rock in my life has suddenly been rolled away."

Councillor Barry Norton, the Conservative leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, dismissed suggestions that Mr Shale might have killed himself as "scurrilous" and said his death was a "terrible shock".

He added there was a history of heart problems in Mr Shale's family and described him as "highly respected".

"He was a rock for everybody - somebody you could rely on," Mr Norton said.

A distraught woman, staying in the backstage area between the Pyramid and Other stages, was seen being comforted by officers after Mr Shale was found.

A police cordon, guarded by at least eight officers, was put up around the backstage shower and toilet area.





The camping area where festival production teams and some performers stay was also blocked off.

Mr Shale was believed to be staying in a Winnebago next to Times columnist Caitlin Moran, who tweeted: "Woke up to find the man in the Winnebago next to us died. Bit of a grime (sic) start to the morning."

A host of celebrities were staying within the cordoned off area. Wayne and Coleen Rooney were understood to have been camping in a nearby luxury RV.

Revellers reacted with shock at the news.

Tom Waite, 35, from Cheddar, was among those staying in the VIP area. He said: "It's just awful for his family."





On the day of Mr Shale's death, a soul-searching report he wrote on the difficulty of attracting new members to the Conservative Party appeared in a Sunday tabloid.

In the document, Mr Shale wrote that at present there is "no reason to join. Lots of reasons not to". He also criticised the Conservative Association's fundraising efforts.

Security has been heightened at Glastonbury for the arrival of American megastar Beyonce, who will bring the music extravaganza to a close.

Sources confirmed the American singer required tighter security than was planned for U2 and Coldplay.

Queens of the Stone Age, Plan B and Paul Simon also feature on the bill as the festival ends.

Coldplay headlined on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday, and Pulp made a surprise return to Worthy Farm with a set on the Park Stage.



