Leeds Festival ‘refugees’ create new wellington street

Leeds city centre was awash with mud and discarded wellington boots yesterday as revellers made their way home from the three-day Leeds Festival.
Leeds festival goers arrive to catch trains home.Leeds festival goers arrive to catch trains home.
Leeds festival goers arrive to catch trains home.

The area around the city’s railway station was described as looking “like a refugee camp” as festival-goers were unloaded from buses transporting them from the site at Bramham Park.

Many chose not to take their mud-caked wellies with them on their onward journey from Leeds and left the footwear in the station or nearby.

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Leeds residents took to Twitter to complain about the state of the streets in the city centre. Jules Martin wrote: “The aroma of sweat, smelly wellies and manure surrounds cordoned off teenagers sleeping on Leeds station floor this morning.”

Another tweeted: “Leeds station looks like a refugee camp. Knee deep in mud and piles of abandoned wellies everywhere.” A Leeds council spokesman said extra resources were being deployed and the authority’s lead councillor for environmental services said an “urgent conversation” was needed with organisers about the clean-up bill.

Leeds Festival boss Melvin Benn said: “We work closely with Leeds City Council year round and we will of course discuss this issue and any other concerns that they may wish to raise.”

At 1pm yesterday there were stills hundreds of festival-goers waiting for trains at the station, with many forced to lie on the floor because of a lack of space.

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Fast-food outlets in the station concourse were doing a brisk trade, leading to food wrappers and other detritus being strewn on the floor. Litters bins at the station were full and Network Rail staff were called into action to sweep up mud from the floors.

Heavy rain over the weekend turned the festival site, into a mud bath and a number of festival-goers complained about problems leaving the car park, with many vehicles becoming stuck in the mud and some having to be towed out. This led to major delays for those trying to drive out of the car park and gridlock on nearby roads.

Despite the complaints, the event, organised by Festival Republic, was hailed a success. A statement on the festival’s official Facebook page said: “Thanks to every single one of you for making the weekend what it was, and one we’ll never forget.”

Some 70,000 people attended and 28 arrests were made, a slight rise on last year’s total, for offences including assault, public order and drugs.