Police hopes high for final day of Glastonbury

Police in Glastonbury were today hoping crime would remain at an all-time low for the final day of the festival, despite a suspected drug-related death.

Crime at the three-day festival, at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, was yesterday down by 41% compared to the same time last year.

But police are continuing to question two women who were being held in custody on suspicion of supplying drugs to a 24-year-old Blackpool man, who died after collapsing in a festival car park in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Music lovers faced a prospect of better weather following yesterday’s downpours, but the ground was likely to stay muddy for the rest of the event.

Forecasters were predicting a bright start with heavy showers later.

Crowds were today waking to a performance by the English National Opera of Wagner’s The Ride of The Valkyries from The Ring Cycle on the main Pyramid Stage.

The ENO requested the slot as they wanted to reach a new audience who would not normally go to the opera.

Some 91 musicians and 11 soloists were rousing the 150,000 people gathered at the site with the music made famous by the film Apocalypse Now.

Other acts playing on the final day include Muse, James Brown and Morrissey.

Away from the music, crowds were expected to gather in the Lost Vagueness area of the site to witness the weddings at the Chapel of Love and Loathe.

Although not legally binding, weddings in this hidden corner of the 900 acre site are a tradition among members of the alternative traveller scene.

Last night veteran rocker Paul McCartney gave an awe-inspiring performance in the top slot at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

The former eatle described the Somerset site as “special and magical” in the first performance by any member of the Fab Four at the event.

The two-hour set on the main Pyramid stage was the finale of a summer tour which included dates in Lisbon, Prague, Paris and Helsinki.

The 62-year-old’s tour was the first since he became a father again in October last year.

He sang, strummed and played the piano to solo, Beatles and Wings hits.

Affectionate to tens of thousands of fans gathered in rains, McCartney said it was great to be at the festival.

“It’s great to be here finally…at this field of wonder, field of glory on the ley line,” he said.

Fans young and old participated in a rousing chorus of Hey Jude and fireworks accompanied James Bond theme, Live and Let Die.

McCartney, dressed in a red shirt and bright blue jacket, also performed lively renditions of Yellow Submarine, Eleanor Rigby, Penny Lane, Get Back, Helter Skelter and Band On The Run.

In a powerful encore to the responsive crowd, McCartney sang Let It Be, Yesterday and finished with an exciting rendition of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

He said he wanted to “go on all night”.

Last year festival organiser Michael Eavis said he had turned down an offer from McCartney to headline the event because Radiohead had already been confirmed in the headline slot.