Fans 'stranded' after Justin Timberlake concert

Cars in a queue for the parking exits after Friday's Justin Timberlake concert

Music fans have reported facing long delays as they tried to leave a Justin Timberlake concert.

The 10-time Grammy Award winner performed at Chelmsford City Racecourse, in Essex, on Friday evening as part of Chelmsford City Live.

But afterwards frustrated concert-goers said it had taken several hours to leave car parks as streams of vehicles queued for exits. One post claimed people were "stranded in a field".

Essex Police said it was "liaising" with the organisers to resolve the issues before Saturday's concert headlined by Duran Duran. The racecourse said it "apologised to those who experienced delays", while the promoter has been approached for comment.

Timberlake last took to the stage in Essex during the V Festival, at Hylands Park, in 2014

Rie Rosman (left) and Brigitte Larsen said they saw people getting aggressive as they struggled to get home

Timberlake was the headliner on the first night of the three-day festival, attracting a crowd of about 25,000 to the site in Great Leighs.

Duran Duran super fan Brigitte Larsen travelled from Denmark with a friend for the concert weekend and said she had witnessed people's frustration as they struggled to get home.

"It turned into chaos," she said.

"There were some very drunk people getting aggressive and banging on the sides of buses.

"It took some people three hours to get home. People were getting very angry."

Bob Reed said his pub had been busy as people stranded in traffic before the gig popped in for refreshments

Bob Reed, landlord of the nearby Dog and Partridge pub in Great Leighs, said traffic before the concert had been "very, very hectic".

"People took a couple of hours to get through the village to the racetrack and a lot of people were late," he said.

"Even in the village, people were coming home from work from Chelmsford - it took 2-2.5 hours to get home, which normally takes 10 minutes.

"The traffic was horrendous in the whole area."

A car fire on the A131 before the concert was believed to have caused some hold-ups, while the racecourse said there were two other vehicle incidents on nearby roads.

An earlier car fire on the A131 at Great Notley had already caused delays

After the event, as fans tried to head home, car parks became gridlocked as vehicles which had earlier been marshalled into rows tried to move off.

Another post said: "Justin Timberlake was brilliant but the whole evening has been overshadowed by the poorly managed traffic."

Liam Smith attended the event and said he was excited to see Timberlake perform in his home town

Liam Smith, 34, who lives in Doncaster but is originally from Chelmsford, said he was "very excited" to see Timberlake in his home town.

But, referring to the parking issues, he added: "It just seemed like it was really not going to plan."

Some fans started walking home after Justin Timberlake's performance

Lauren Keeble, 39, from Maldon, said she felt "quite lucky" after finding out people had queued for several hours.

"There was a lack of signage when driving in and a lack of information leading up to the event."

Ms Keeble said she was going back to the racecourse on Sunday to see Olly Murs, but feared "the same could happen again".

'Avoid taking action'

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "We are aware of issues people faced leaving Chelmsford City Racecourse last night following the Justin Timberlake concert.

"The event organiser is responsible for the management of people entering and exiting the venue.

"We are liaising with them to resolve these issues for tonight's event.

"Our officers worked to try and keep people safe, including putting in place a rolling roadblock along the A131 to manage speeds along the road."

They added: "We appreciate the frustration people felt last night but would ask that you avoid taking action that might put your safety at risk."

'Confident' for Saturday

A spokesperson for Chelmsford City Racecourse said they "understand and sincerely apologise to those who experienced delays" leaving the site.

"Whilst some delays were anticipated we know that long waits can be incredibly frustrating," they said.

"Initial entry to the venue was impacted by three independent vehicle incidents on road surrounding the venue, including a car fire. These unforeseen external challenges created delays that were beyond our immediate control.

"We have already met with all key stakeholders and adjusted our plans for today's and tomorrow's events based on the learnings from Friday night.

"We are confident that these enhanced provisions will ensure a smoother, safer and more enjoyable experience."

Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers & Chic and JC Stewart take to the stage on Saturday.

Murs, who was born in Witham, said performing on Sunday would be the biggest gig he had ever done in Essex.