Glastonbury clean-up operation gets underway as music festival ends with Elton John

Watch: Glastonbury clean-up begins as thousands leave Worthy Farm

The great Glastonbury clean-up is well underway as thousands of people return home after a weekend of music.

About 1,000 volunteers picked up litter on Monday morning in an effort to restore the 800-acre site at Worthy Farm to its usual state when it isn't populated by revellers.

It is thought about 210,000 people attended the festival from Wednesday until Sunday, which was headlined by Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses and Elton John across three days of music.

Elton John brought the festival to a close on Sunday night on the Pyramid Stage with a set laden with hits.

Volunteers worked across the site on Monday with rubbish bags as they picked up litter.

They waded through a sea of rubbish, plastic bags, tents and laughing gas canisters left by festival-goers.

They separated the waste as they went to make sure as much as possible can be recycled or composted.

The rubbish in front of the Pyramid Stage had already been cleared by mid-morning.

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Once totally cleaned, the site will be returned to a farm and used as a grazing field for cows.

According to event co-organiser Emily Eavis, the clean-up operation can cost as much as £500,000 to restore the site to normal each year.

It is estimated that more than 2,000 tonnes of waste - nearly 10kg per visitor - is left behind at the festival every year. However, last year 99% of tents were taken home.

One volunteer, called Rocky, told Somerset Live that the clean-up operation had been much worse in previous years.

"I came down this morning and thought 'this doesn't look bad', considering there were about a quarter of a million people here," he said.

"A long time ago, it would have been way worse, when single use plastics were allowed and the caterers sold everything in polystyrene.

"Even 10 years ago there would have been loads and loads of chairs left, and this year there will be fewer tents [left] than ever."

In a tweet, the festival said: "When you’re packing up your tent, please put your rubbish in the bin bags provided by campsite stewards and take home all of your belongings to use again next time!

"Thank you. Love the farm, leave no trace!"

It can take up to a month to return the farm to its usual state.

Among the acts who played on Sunday were Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Blondie, Lil Nas X and Queens of the Stone Age, following performances earlier in the weekend by artists such as Pretenders, Kelis, Rick Astley, Lana Del Rey, Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo, Sparks, Foo Fighters, Carly Rae Jepsen, Texas and Royal Blood.

Drivers were encouraged to leave the site before 7am on Monday morning to avoid queues and were urged to have food, drink and supplies in their car in the event of long waits.

Advice for those with cars said: “From 8am until 5pm on Monday there are likely to be queues as our stewards work hard to help all the cars which arrived over three days to leave in one day.

“None of the staff can go home until you have, so please be calm, respectful and understanding.”

Roads were busy but moving well on Monday morning, according to Somerset Council.

Avon and Somerset Police recorded 120 incidents, a force spokesman said.

This included 27 thefts, 20 drug offences and seven sexual assaults. A total of 35 arrests were made.

The figures included incidents and arrests both on and off site, in areas around the perimeter and on approach roads and in the car parks.

Watch: Elton John closes Glastonbury in his festival swan song