Campfires at most festivals are (and should be) banned due to the crowded conditions and dry land so don't bother - it's a danger and a hazard to everyone.

Many people suffer burns and serious injury from camping stoves at events, keep cylinders and stoves upright when changing cylinders, never change gas cylinders in your tent, near naked lights or when smoking and never attempt cooking inside a tent.

A fire can spread through a festival campsite in minutes with possible catastrophic consequences - take real care. Tests have shown that gas from camping stoves can travel a long distance across the surface of the ground so to prevent fires tents should beat least three meters apart if possible. A torch is the safest form of lighting, don't use candles or flares, not only are they a fire risk but hot dripping wax can cause serious burns.

People were seen throwing gas canisters onto fires during the disturbances at both Leeds and Reading in 2005 - people got injured and it was a major hazard - a spit away from a full blown catastrophe. It's hard to believe that people could be quite so stupid and care so little for their own safety and that of those around them. We can only suggest that in the event you find yourself in the middle of such disturbances you get yourself well away from it as quickly as possible - it isn't a spectator sport - and police or security will not be able to differentiate between who is a bystander and who is a perpetrator.

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