Fans hail Radiohead performance at Reading

Thousands of bleary-eyed music fans were making their way home from Reading, England today after what many were saying was the highlight of the festival season.

A triumphant set from Radiohead, which saw the band play many of their old hits, brought proceedings to a close at the three-day event, which attracted 83,500 people to the site on the banks of the River Thames.

Other artists performing on the last night included La Roux and Lostprophets, but it was Radiohead's main stage performance, featuring songs from 'OK Computer' and 'The Bends', which was the talk of the festival.

Andy Bates, 34, a retail manager from Newcastle, said: "It was great that they started the set with Creep, as they don't always play it, and Street Spirit was fantastic.

"I feel that at Reading Festival I can enjoy music like nowhere else, and get to do it in the company of wonderful people and amazing bands, and you don't get much better than Radiohead."

The two-hour show was accompanied by a spectacular light show, as drizzle fell upon the festival site.

Frank Turner, who played to a packed-out NME tent earlier in the day before a secret acoustic set at the BBC Introducing stage, said: "Radiohead are the best band in the world, and anyone who thinks otherwise has something wrong with them.

"I grew up going to Reading Festival, and I love coming here.

"At Reading, you just turn up, see bands, then go home. It's really music-centric in that way."

Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon completed the trio of headlining acts, with sets on Saturday and Friday night respectively.

A performance from The Prodigy on Saturday night attracted such large crowds that band members had to urge fans to take a step backwards so no-one was injured.

Student Edward Berrecloth, 18, of Colchester, Essex, said: "It went absolutely mental at The Prodigy, and I sprained my ankle. Everyone was just rushing forward.

"The medical services here were brilliant though."

His friend, Elliot Miller, also 18, a record company intern from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, said: "The whole festival has been brilliant. It's much better than festivals like V, simply because of the line-up.

"In the Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, they had two of the biggest British bands performing."

Thames Valley Police said crime had gone down from last year's festival, with 279 reported as of this morning.

A total of 55 arrests were made, including 15 for possession of drugs with intent to supply, eight for assault and eight for theft.

Chief Inspector Les Stone, daytime commander at the festival, said he was pleased with the way the event had gone, and there had been a "good atmosphere" on the site.