BoomTown festival fire destroys 80 cars

More than 80 cars were destroyed after a huge fire swept through a music festival.

At its peak six fire crews battled the blaze on the second day of the four-day BoomTown Fair Festival on Friday afternoon.

The fire is the latest incident to mar the festival at the Matterley Bowl, near Winchester, Hampshire, in recent years. In 2014 a 31-year-old woman died in hospital after being found slumped unconscious in a toilet at the festival.

The previous year Oxfam steward Ellie Rowe, 18, from Glastonbury, Somerset, died at Boomtown after taking the horse tranquilliser ketamine.

BoomTown Fair is a four-day festival with acts this year including Leftfield, Damian Marley, Madness and Levellers.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue and Hampshire Police have launched an investigation into the blaze, which started shortly before 4.15pm.

A fire and rescue spokesman said: "On arrival firefighters were faced with a large blaze involving approximately 80 vehicles, all of which were destroyed in the fire, but fortunately no injuries were reported.

"The Boomtique campsite next to the car park was evacuated as a precaution, but suffered no damage."

As the fire raged reveller Luke Machin tweeted: "Things are really heating up @BoomTownFair as a car fire takes hold."

BoomTown organisers took to Twitter to warn festival-goers to stay away from the affected area. They later said that an "incident info point" would be in place on Saturday.