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| Isle of Wight Festival: Floods cause travel chaos | Isle of Wight Festival: Floods cause travel chaos |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Flooding is causing chaos for people heading to the Isle of Wight Festival. | Flooding is causing chaos for people heading to the Isle of Wight Festival. |
| Heavy rain has led to access problems at Seaclose Park, Newport. There has been traffic gridlock on the island with people forced to sleep in their cars overnight. | Heavy rain has led to access problems at Seaclose Park, Newport. There has been traffic gridlock on the island with people forced to sleep in their cars overnight. |
| Police have been escorting motorists stuck in traffic to Newport Football Club where shelter and refreshments are being provided. | |
| About 65,000 festival-goers are expected to attend the three-day event. | About 65,000 festival-goers are expected to attend the three-day event. |
| Traffic on many of the island's roads has been at a standstill throughout Thursday and in to Friday. | |
| Hundreds of motorists have been queuing for hours to access the site and have been left stranded in their vehicles. Some have experienced waits of up to 15 hours. | |
| Festival-goers have taken to social networking sites to complain about their treatment and a lack of communication from festival organisers. | |
| 'Really sorry' | 'Really sorry' |
| Amy Neale wrote: "This is diabolical. I cannot believe that an organisation that is taking this much money per ticket actually think this is decent." | Amy Neale wrote: "This is diabolical. I cannot believe that an organisation that is taking this much money per ticket actually think this is decent." |
| Tamara Short posted: "I cannot believe that there are children stuck in cars for hours, cold, hungry and tired and no toilets. Absolutely disgusting." | |
| In a statement issued at 01:00 BST, festival organisers said: "We are really sorry for the delays getting into the campsite. | In a statement issued at 01:00 BST, festival organisers said: "We are really sorry for the delays getting into the campsite. |
| "Our fields have become wetter and wetter throughout the day. We have opened up new fields and laid more trackway. | "Our fields have become wetter and wetter throughout the day. We have opened up new fields and laid more trackway. |
| "If you are in a car outside waiting to get in we are sending you some food and drink. Please bear with us." | "If you are in a car outside waiting to get in we are sending you some food and drink. Please bear with us." |
| Hampshire Constabulary said it was escorting motorists on the A3054 main road from Fishbourne to the car park at Newport Football Club. | Hampshire Constabulary said it was escorting motorists on the A3054 main road from Fishbourne to the car park at Newport Football Club. |
| The force said traffic on the A3021 road from East Cowes was being marshalled into the existing festival car parks. | The force said traffic on the A3021 road from East Cowes was being marshalled into the existing festival car parks. |
| Plans are being made to open extra car parks for people due to arrive on the island later on Friday. | Plans are being made to open extra car parks for people due to arrive on the island later on Friday. |
| Earlier, three Wightlink ferries with a total of 600 people on board were forced to wait in the Solent for several hours. | Earlier, 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. | The ferry firm said it had been unable to unload cars in Fishbourne because of traffic being stacked up to the sea. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 official start on Friday. | Warm-up acts were playing ahead of the official 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. |