HAMPSHIRE police are gearing up for one of the biggest operations of the year, the Homelands Festival near Winchester this weekend.
They have been preparing for the sixth dance music extravaganza for months to ensure the 38,000-ticket event goes smoothly.
The planning officer, Sergeant Richard Rowledge, said: "We want to continue the success of staging a safe and crime-free event. We want festival-goers to have a good time, but we would issue a warning that we will be specifically combatting the use or supply of illegal drugs."
Specialist sniffer dogs will be on patrol, trained to scan the air around people to detect if they are carrying controlled substances. Twelve dogs will search all festival-goers as they enter the site.
Last year about 38,000 people attended the event and 17 people were arrested for drug offences. The policing operation will involve 400 officers and support staff.
Some minor roads in the area joining the A31 to the villages of Chilcomb, Easton, Avington and Ovington will be closed from midnight tonight to midnight on Sunday. Alternative routes will be signposted.
A telephone hotline operated by Winchester City Council has been set up for residents experiencing problems with noise pollution. The number is 01962 863493.
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