Solstice campers leave rubbish and human waste

Drinks bottles and paper cups are left alongside rubbish bags in Larkhill, Wiltshire

Campers who travelled to Stonehenge for summer solstice left rubbish and even human waste at a neighbouring garrison town, locals have said.

On Saturday, 25,000 visitors marked the occasion at the ancient site in Wiltshire – causing parking chaos for another year for Larkhill residents, alongside the usual litter.

The problems were aggravated by attendees using woodlands as a toilet.

One camper said they were not left with much choice for car spots, calling the £20 fee for official car parking at the English Heritage site "extortionate". The charity was contacted for comment.

Signs are put up in Larkhill each year to deter visitors from parking in the area

Residents, meanwhile, told the BBC it was "just disgusting" for visitors to leave "loads of rubbish around".

Some locals said they avoid certain roads during solstice as, despite "no parking" signs, they are so jam-packed it is hard to get through – including the main route in Larkhill, the Packway.

One woman said she books time off work as she "wouldn't be able to get home".

Locals say it is difficult to drive through Larkhill during solstice because visitors park along roads

"It's just a nightmare to live around here with solstice going on," said another local. "People park bumper to bumper. I've lived here for eight years now and every year it's the same."

In previous years, there have also been problems with graffiti.

Camper Jasper, who did not give his surname, has been to the area before for solstice and said he was respectful to residents.

"We like to leave a place better than we found it," he said. He said he did not know of other visitors leaving rubbish.

Jasper camps in the area for solstice but says he respects locals and leaves the area better than he found it

The Ministry of Defence owns most of the roads and land in Larkhill, but did not comment.

Wiltshire Council's Graham Wright said there were plans in place to tackle littering and parking.

But he said it was not "an easy task" and that it was a minority who cause problems.

Inspector Gavin Brewster of Wiltshire Police said: "We are aware of people parking illegally during the summer solstice and causing criminal damage.

"These concerns have been taken into consideration when planning our patrols and officers will be making high visibility patrols to try to deter this behaviour."