A YOUNG man stabbed at Scotland's biggest music festival was an "innocent victim" who was attacked as he tried to protect a female friend, police said today.
Tayside Police said the 22-year-old was stabbed 11 times, suffering eight wounds to the body and three to the head.
He is in intensive care after the attack at T in the Park in Balado, Kinross-shire, in the early hours of yesterday, but police sai
d he was making good progress.
In a separate incident, at around 11.50am yesterday, a 32-year-old man was found dead in his tent at the festival site.
He was later named by police as Derek Boyle from Paisley, Renfrewshire.
Tayside Police said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and, as with all sudden deaths, a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal in Perth.
He was found by friends and taken to the on-site hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Detective Chief Inspector Bruce Kerr of Tayside Police said it seemed the man died from a medical condition and it is not a criminal matter.
It is the first on-site fatality in the festival's 15-year history.
The stabbing victim was found in the campsite at around 12.40am, and police believe two men were behind the assault in the blue zone of the site.
Mr Kerr told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "He was an innocent victim.
"He went to intervene with the two males who were accosting one of his female friends and they just set about him and he was stabbed 11 times, eight to the body and three to the head."
The area was cordoned off yesterday as officers with Tayside Police carried out a forensic examination of the scene.
Police have circulated a description of the suspects and urged any revellers who witnessed anything to contact them.
Around 80,000 music fans attended each day of the event, which began on Friday.
Police said the task of finding the attackers would be made more difficult as music fans who may have witnessed the two suspects headed home today.
Mr Kerr said: "I think it will be extremely difficult. These people will probably change their clothing and there are over 80,000 people at the site.
"However, we are hopeful that we have some good forensic evidence that may help us trace the two persons responsible.
"We have two good descriptions of the men which were circulated yesterday and we will find them."
One suspect is described as white, aged 20-24, and slim with short brown hair. He is thought to have been wearing a green or yellow jacket.
The second man is described as being white and stocky with short, brown receding hair. He was wearing a red hooded top or jacket.
MSP Keith Brown, who represents the Ochil constituency where T in the Park takes place, said: "The tragic death of a festival-goer and the isolated violent incident at T in the Park are terrible and deeply regrettable.
"My thoughts are with the friends and families of all those affected.
"I would, though, like to congratulate the organisers and acts on what has otherwise been a highly successful festival, with a record-breaking crowd.
"T in the Park this year went to great lengths to have only a positive impact on the local community's roads and facilities, and deserves recognition for that organisational achievement as well."
