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| Stone Formation Archive 1991 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First Published June 17 1991 POLICE forces in two counties are preparing themselves for the annual invasion of travellers determined to hold a summer solstice festival at Stonehenge.. All police leave in Wiltshire has been cancelled amid fears of a return to the ugly confrontations between the police and the travellers that brought violence to the county in the mid 1980s. Hundreds of people are expected to camp within striking distance of the ancient site in advance of Friday's solstice. About 500 people with 100 vehicles have moved into the area. Hundreds more have been travelling in the Wiltshire/Hampshire border area. Neither Wiltshire nor Hampshire police will reveal how many officers will be involved in the surveillance operation, but a Swindon-based support unit is on standby. Many travellers are believed to have stopped in Avon, Somerset and Hereford ready to move to Stonehenge later in the week. One camp has been established at Stockbridge, near the Hampshire/Wiltshire border. Police believe the travellers will attempt to reach Stonehenge in spite of a four-mile exclusion zone banning gatherings of two or more people. Fears over the solstice have heightened because this year there is no Glastonbury Festival to take the pressure off Stonehenge. The exclusion zone has been implemented under the Public Order Act, until June 23. English Heritage is closing the Stonehenge site, owned by the National Trust, the Ministry of Defence and the local community from 6pm on June 21 until the following morning. Stephen Andrews, of English Heritage said: ̉Mass gatherings are incompatible with the sensitivity of the site.' He said the landowners did not want a festival on the fields which make up part of the Stonehenge site. But Druids are launching a last minute attempt in the High Court to get permission to hold a ceremony within the stone circle on Solstice night. George Firsoff, 46, of Church Road, Redfield, Bristol, is leading the campaign to overturn the English Heritage ban. The Court of Appeal will make a decision on Wednesday. In the 1980s there were violent clashes between police and travellers as the latter tried to get to the ancient stones. A full police support unit will be sent from Swindon if trouble flares at Stonehenge this week. The unit, comprising an inspector, a sergeant and 21 PCs has so far only been used to monitor the progress of travellers through the county. Back to 1991 index |
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