CRIME AT Glastonbury Festival was up on last year, according to recently released figures. CRIME AT Glastonbury Festival was up on last year, according to recently released figures.

This year saw 489 reported incidents, the majority being theft from tents, as has been the case in previous years. It also included one robbery, two rapes and 177 drug offences.

Despite Avon and Somerset Police reporting that crime was at its highest level since 2003, the number of arrests made was actually down in comparison to 2007, at 134.

Many believe Glastonbury to be among the safest UK festivals, and despite these figures, police continue to stress that security is still their top priority. Sergeant Carolyn Crocker pointed out that among the 170,000 festival goers, “99.7 per cent will return home having not been victims of crime”.

Police believe slow ticket sales contributed to a rise in criminal activity, giving touts the opportunity to sell tickets to organised criminal gangs waiting on site.

In an effort to combat such poor ticket sales, 100,000 tickets were released on 5 October, six months earlier than normal.

An Edinburgh student who attended this year’s festival, said: “The people were lovely and my Glastonbury neighbours really looked out for me. On the last night there were no riots or setting fire to tents which you always get at Leeds or Reading.”