Campers leave after storm destroys tents

Ticket holders for Leeds Festival called Friday the “worst day ever” after 60mph (96km/h) winds blew away tents and destroyed urinals.

Many campers left the campsite at Bramham Park when Storm Lilian led to venue closures, cancelled performances and damage.

Fences were toppled and a van window was smashed by a falling wall, while organisers blocked the stages of BBC Radio 1, Aux and Chevron.

Visitors were advised to remain in their tents, but with calmer weather forecast for Saturday, festival management hoped to reopen the Chevron at 12:00 BST.

The health and safety team confirmed on Friday evening that it will not be possible to open the BBC Radio 1 and Aux arenas for the entire weekend.

A teenager who attended the festival said she had experienced the “worst day ever” after her group’s tent was destroyed.

Carrie Gill, 19, said: “All the rain got into the tent because the poles were being pulled so hard by the wind that the fabric ripped open.

“All the shops have been blown down, the urinal walls are gone, people’s tents are hanging in the air, shirts and stuff from the shops are gone. It’s really bad here.”

She and her friends had been asked to leave their campsite for safety reasons.

Declan Donnelly, a 20-year-old man from Manchester, said he had seen tents left behind by people who had decided to go home.

“We had to hold our tent for about one to two hours and double peg it because when the wind gusts hit, the tent almost blew off.

“It seems to be quieter now, but there are a lot of tents that have been destroyed, collapsed and destroyed. There are still quite a few tents left.”

Dylan Maggs, 26, said he saw the wall fall on empty tents and a van window shattered.

“We just laugh about it, there’s not much we can do about it, it’s annoying but it is what it is. We’ve seen a lot of people leave their tents and go away,” he added.

The main stage remained open on Friday, but the first act, Renee Rap, canceled her performance due to concerns about the safety of her crew during setup.

The Prodigy are among the big names hitting the Chevron Theater later this weekend.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Soundsstay up to date with the latest news episode of Look North or tell us a story that you think we should discuss here.