POLICE are preparing for up to 30,000 people to gather at Avebury as the Summer Solstice is set to fall on a weekend for the first time in more than a decade.

This year’s solstice is celebrated at Stonehenge on Saturday into Sunday and at Avebury Stone Circle from Friday until Monday.

The main event falls on a Saturday night for the first time since 2003, and Wiltshire Police will be working to ensure it remains a safe event for all those who attend.

Superintendent Gavin Williams, lead officer on the policing operation, said: “We will be managing a proportionate policing operation at both Stonehenge and Avebury and will be policing in the same way we would any night time economy.

“As always, we have been working closely with our partners to make sure that the right conditions of entry are in place.

"This year falls on Saturday so we are expecting in the region of 30 thousand visitors throughout the night. The police will be there to ensure public safety and support the event.

"There will be drugs dogs and amnesty bins at the entry points and we will deal robustly with any disorder or anti-social behaviour.

"The best advice we can give to the public is to use the bus service provided and to check the conditions of entry before attending the event or you may not be allowed in.

"Only moderate consumption of alcohol is permitted and therefore you could be turned away. We want everyone at Solstice to have a safe event this coming weekend.”

Sunrise will be at 4.52am on Sunday – the longest day of the year.

Parking is limited at the site and police are working with English Heritage and other partners to ensure parking and traffic flow is managed effectively.

Visitors are encouraged to use public transport wherever possible as vehicles will be turned away once the car park has reached capacity.

The Salisbury Reds special solstice bus shuttle service to Stonehenge will run from Stand U in New Canal, Salisbury and from the Salisbury railway station to a drop off point near Stonehenge. The buses will also stop at any recognised bus stop along the line of the route, which is via Amesbury.

This bus service will start at 6.30pm on Saturday and run every 10 to 15 minutes until 1.15am on Sunday. A service taking people back to Salisbury will start again at 4am on Sunday morning and run frequently until 9.45am.

Stonehenge is open from 7pm on Saturday to 8am on Sunday. The solstice car park will open from 7pm on Saturday, with last admission at 6am on Sunday – or earlier if full. The car park must be vacated by noon on Sunday.

For information visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/summer-solstice