BRITAIN'S biggest dance festival went off without a hitch as 42,000 revellers partied into the night in a Hampshire field.

Organisers say the event, at the Matterley Bowl, near Winchester, attracted their biggest-ever crowd for the 18-hour weekend event.

Police were pleased with the way the event went, with preliminary reports suggesting fewer arrests made than last year.

By midnight on Saturday officers had made just 32 arrests, mostly for drugs offences, though several people were also arrested for theft and other minor offences.

Another set of officers who saw a quiet night were the team from the Winchester City Council environment department, who were on call to prevent noise disturbing people in nearby homes.

Initial reports suggested the sound of the event didn't travel as far as it had done on previous years, though a number of complaints were still received.