By ROB HULL
The almighty annual task that is the post-Glastonbury clean-up went into action yesterday as volunteers took the festival site to collect waste left behind following the five-day event.
Glastonbury revellers have long been accused of hypocrisy for leaving Worthy Farm buried under heaps of rubbish - despite the virtue-signalling eco-conscious event preaching sustainability.
And many take aim at tens of thousands who arrive and depart the festival in gas guzzling cars that are harmful to the environment.
But for a select few who drove to and from the event, the party mood will have rapidly slipped away when police seized their cars.
That's because Avon and Somerset Police, with the help of the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), launched a tactical sting on uninsured motorists during the festival.
The two-day operation was timed to coincide with Glastonbury's busiest arrival (Wednesday) and departure (Monday) days to ensure 'maximum impact'.
Officers seized 21 vehicles for being uninsured or inadequately covered. But that's not the only type of motoring offence they stumbled upon...
Caught out: Avon and Somerset Police, with the help of the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), launched a tactical sting around the Worthy Farm areas targeting uninsured motorists
The MIB said the aim of the targeted sting was to 'maximise safer travel for both festivalgoers and the local community'.
Uninsured driving remains a serious problem across the UK, with someone falling victim to an uninsured or hit-and-run driver every 20 minutes.
'Removing uninsured vehicles from the road helps protect all road users from potential harm. Additionally, uninsured drivers are frequently linked to other criminal activities, including drug or drink driving, excessive speeding, and organised crime such as drug running,' the bureau says.
Among the other criminal activity identified during the two-day raid included detection of stolen vehicles, drivers who had been disqualified, had expired licences, or were attempting to use altered documents, and three vehicles using fraudulent numberplates.
Another 10 motors were found to have no valid MOT and 11 were not taxed.
Officers seized 21 vehicles for being uninsured or inadequately covered. But that's not the only type of motoring offence they stumbled upon...
Police also identified stolen vehicles, disqualified drivers, vehicles using fraudulent numberplates and motors with no MOT or tax
The MIB said the tactical sting took place at peak arrival and departure times. Pictured: Festival goers on Wednesday undertaking the long hot walk from the car park before fanning out for their various camping locations
The RAC predicts that up to 125,000 cars are driven to and from Glastonbury Festival each year - despite the eco-conscious event preaching sustainability
What a difference a day makes: Pictured left: Olivia Rodrigo performing on the Pyramid Stage on Sunday night. Right: The clean-up operation begins in the same field that was left covered in litter
Matt Boiles, roads policing inspector for Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'Glastonbury is the UK’s largest music festival, bringing a significant increase in vehicles and traffic to the area each year.
'This operation enabled us to target uninsured vehicles both entering and leaving the site, helping to improve safety for those attending the festival, using surrounding roads, and living in the area.'
He added: 'High-profile opportunities like Glastonbury sends a clear message to those who choose to break the law - you will be identified, and your vehicle will be seized, no matter where you are.'
Martin Saunders, who is head of uninsured driving prevention at MIB, also commented: 'Uninsured driving is a problem every day of the year.
'Utilising events like Glastonbury, where there is a large influx of vehicles, allows us to not only target those who choose to drive uninsured, but provides us with an opportunity to educate those who are unaware.'