PICS: Glastonbury clean-up begins as revellers head home

The clean-up operation of Glastonbury Festival 2017 has begun as revellers return home from the five-day extravaganza.

PICS: Glastonbury clean-up begins as revellers head home

The clean-up operation of Glastonbury Festival 2017 has begun as revellers return home from the five-day extravaganza.

Some festival-goers began packing up their tents even before Sunday night headliner Ed Sheeran began his set on the Somerset site's Pyramid Stage.

Vendors also began clearing away their stalls in the last hours of music and parties across the 900-acres of fields.

Glastonbury Festival has been home to a population of 200,000 since Wednesday, with performances beginning in earnest on Friday.

Highlights include headline sets from Foo Fighters, Radiohead and Ed Sheeran, as well as surprise performances from The Killers and Elbow.

Celebrity guests included Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Bradley Cooper, Kit Harington and Tilda Swinton.

But the indisputable star of the event was Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who drew cheering crowds of thousands as he delivered passionate speeches from the Pyramid Stage and Left Field tent.

Chants of "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" to the tune of the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army became the unofficial soundtrack to the festival, with fans donning clothing bearing his name and face, waving flags with his name on and admiring a sand sculpture depicting the Islington North MP riding a fox through a field of wheat towards Theresa May.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell also spoke at the Left Field tent, claiming the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire had been "murdered" by political decisions.

enjoying the festival.Labour faces Yvette Cooper, Ed Balls and Tom Watson were also seen

With the party now officially over, campers have until 6pm to leave the site, while crew and stall holders are given a week to clear their property.

Organisers have asked attendees to take their tents with them, with posters around the venue reading: "Love the farm, leave no trace" and a heavy emphasis on recycling throughout.

The 514 food vendors on site had only been allowed to provide compostable plates, cups and cutlery, while glass was banned across the festival.

A litter picking crew of up to 800 has begun clearing the huge area of rubbish, with tractors carrying magnetic strips travelling across the fields.

Workers will also carry out a fingertip search to make sure no inch of the land goes unchecked.

The mission to convert it back into a functioning dairy farm could take up to six weeks.

Last year, the operation was made harder thanks to heavy rain that caused a huge amount of mud – with revellers abandoning their belongings as they struggled out.

There will be no Glastonbury Festival in 2018, as it is a fallow year but festival organiser Michael Eavis said it would be back in 2019.

"The farm needs a rest. So does the village and the wildlife," he said.

In 2020, Glastonbury Festival will celebrate its 50th year.

"We're already booking acts for that one," Mr Eavis said.

"Half a century. It's an incredible feat, actually. We've been through so many struggles to get here."

Avon and Somerset said police said crime had increased at the 2017 festival when compared to 2016 figures.

There have been 188 crimes reported, up from 180, and 71 arrests – an increase on the 40 from last year.

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