Revellers brave mud for opening day

Thousands of music fans have donned their wellies and braved muddy fields for the first day of Reading Festival.

Heavy rainfall threatened to make the three-day rock event a wash-out, but festival organisers are confident of a brighter outlook after no more rain fell yesterday.

Water had to be pumped from the site, with the Environment Agency lowering the levels of the nearby River Thames to improve the rate of drainage.

Woodchip has also been ordered to soak up the water on the ground.

About 87,000 people are expected through the gates of the annual festival in the Berkshire town, to see headline acts including veteran rockers Guns N’Roses, who take to the main stage tonight.

Meanwhile, the festival’s sister event in Leeds got under way in mixed weather conditions of sunshine and heavy showers.

Forecasts were optimistic for a relatively dry weekend with sunny intervals throughout but rain expected sporadically.

An estimated 70,000 fans will be at the sold-out Leeds event, which has been going strong since 1999, over the weekend.

This year there are six stages, including the BBC’s Introducing Stage which promotes up-and-coming acts and this year has more than 230 bands and artists performing. Mud-splattered revellers at Reading complained of flooded tents and wet clothes, but said they would not let it stop their enjoyment of the music.

Stuart Brown, 19, from Hertford­shire, said: “I’ve never been to a festival before, and it’s quite an experience with all the mud. But it’s good.”

Jordan Ayres, an 18-year-old student from Northampton, said “It’s amazing. We’re loving it.

“When it gets hot, you need a bit of rain. It lubes up the moshpit. The wetter the better!”

Thames Valley Police said there had been 96 crimes reported to them as of this afternoon, and that they have made nine arrests.

The number of crimes is an increase from last year, but officers said that was because more people were reporting them in person.

So far there have been 72 thefts from tents and 18 drug offences, police said.

Chief Inspector Les Stone said: “The number of thefts from tents is a concern and I would urge people to take great care with any valuables they bring on to the site. Sleep with them in your sleeping bag.”

Newly reformed The Libertines are to play the main stage tomorrow night, ahead of headliners Arcade Fire, with Blink 182 headlining on the final night.