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| Isle of Wight Festival: Floods cause travel chaos | Isle of Wight Festival: Floods cause travel chaos |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Flooding left hundreds of people stranded on ferries and caused long traffic delays for people heading to the Isle of Wight Festival. | |
| About 65,000 festivalgoers are expected at Seaclose Park in Newport during the event which starts on Friday. | About 65,000 festivalgoers are expected at Seaclose Park in Newport during the event which starts on Friday. |
| Three Wightlink ferries with a total of 600 people on board were forced to wait in the Solent for several hours. | |
| The ferry firm said it had been unable to unload cars in Fishbourne because of traffic being stacked up to the sea. | |
| Traffic on many of the island's roads has been at a standstill throughout the day and evening. | Traffic on many of the island's roads has been at a standstill throughout the day and evening. |
| Food on board | Food on board |
| Problems began in the morning because the main car park had become waterlogged from heavy rain overnight. | Problems began in the morning because the main car park had become waterlogged from heavy rain overnight. |
| Organisers were forced to bring in metal tracks so that vehicles could be directed to an overflow car park. | Organisers were forced to bring in metal tracks so that vehicles could be directed to an overflow car park. |
| Thousands of people were also stuck in Portsmouth harbour waiting to board Wightlink ferries to the island. | Thousands of people were also stuck in Portsmouth harbour waiting to board Wightlink ferries to the island. |
| The organisers apologised and said they were "working to speed things up" at the parking site. | The organisers apologised and said they were "working to speed things up" at the parking site. |
| Earlier on Thursday evening, a Wightlink spokeswoman said : "We have about a couple of hundred people on each boat. They are fine, and there are crew and food on board. | |
| "We can't do anything else with them until we can get into port to unload. | "We can't do anything else with them until we can get into port to unload. |
| "At the moment we are in the lap of the Gods with the Isle of Wight Festival. | "At the moment we are in the lap of the Gods with the Isle of Wight Festival. |
| "As soon as the berth is free they will be able to unload, but we just don't know when that will be. | "As soon as the berth is free they will be able to unload, but we just don't know when that will be. |
| "It has nothing to do with us, and it's not a problem caused by us." | "It has nothing to do with us, and it's not a problem caused by us." |
| John Newsome, who had been stuck in the queue for several hours, said: "I'm quite happy with the festival. | John Newsome, who had been stuck in the queue for several hours, said: "I'm quite happy with the festival. |
| "Really up until this year, the traffic situation has not been too bad - fair enough, it's been a bit disruptive but not too bad. | "Really up until this year, the traffic situation has not been too bad - fair enough, it's been a bit disruptive but not too bad. |
| "But this today, it's disgusting. I've never come across anything like this in the past here - or even on the mainland. | "But this today, it's disgusting. I've never come across anything like this in the past here - or even on the mainland. |
| "It makes everyone's blood boil and this will make people even more irate and cause accidents." | "It makes everyone's blood boil and this will make people even more irate and cause accidents." |
| Southern Vectis said its bus services were affected. | Southern Vectis said its bus services were affected. |
| Hampshire Police were assisting to clear the backlog of traffic affecting a number of roads leading from ferry ports to the festival site. | Hampshire Police were assisting to clear the backlog of traffic affecting a number of roads leading from ferry ports to the festival site. |
| They said: "Tracks are in place across muddy ground for motorists to reach an extra car park at the IoW Festival. | They said: "Tracks are in place across muddy ground for motorists to reach an extra car park at the IoW Festival. |
| "Police motorcyclists are on patrol between Fishbourne, Whippingham, Wootton Bridge and Newport to help manage the flow of traffic on to the site as swiftly and safely as possible. | "Police motorcyclists are on patrol between Fishbourne, Whippingham, Wootton Bridge and Newport to help manage the flow of traffic on to the site as swiftly and safely as possible. |
| "We are working closely with the organisers, ferry companies and other emergency services." | "We are working closely with the organisers, ferry companies and other emergency services." |
| At the festival site one of the stages, Big Top, was closed for a short while on Thursday because of high winds but reopened later. | At the festival site one of the stages, Big Top, was closed for a short while on Thursday because of high winds but reopened later. |
| Warm-up acts were playing ahead of the offical start on Friday. | Warm-up acts were playing ahead of the offical start on Friday. |
| The festival runs from Friday until Sunday and headliners include Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen. | The festival runs from Friday until Sunday and headliners include Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen. |
| The date of the event was moved from its normal slot in early June, to avoid clashing with the Diamond Jubilee and half-term holidays. | The date of the event was moved from its normal slot in early June, to avoid clashing with the Diamond Jubilee and half-term holidays. |
| For the festival about 65,000 people travel to the Isle of Wight, which has a population of just 140,000. | For the festival about 65,000 people travel to the Isle of Wight, which has a population of just 140,000. |
| Are you going to the festival? Have you been affected by long delays? Please send us your comments and pictures using the form below. | Are you going to the festival? Have you been affected by long delays? Please send us your comments and pictures using the form below. |