NO-HEADLINE

A Solitary druid waiting for dawn at Stonehenge in Wiltshire yesterday to celebrate the summer solstice, writes Danny Penman.

Police who kept people away from the stones said it was one of the quietest gatherings there for years and made only seven arrests.

But the solstice itself did not take place until 9:24 pm last night and many other druids and new age travellers were gathering close to Stonehenge, having chosen to celebrate on the closest sunrise to the solstice.

The Police exclusion order banning druids and New Age travellers from the Stonehenge area ran out at midnight last night.

Those gathering hoped to evade the police restrictions by shifting the celebrations to today and by only holding a token worship on the accustomed day of 21 June.

Photograph: Glynn Griffiths