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Swine flu could force Glastonbury cancellation

John Hall
Wednesday 06 May 2009 12:00 BST
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(Getty)

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Louise Thomas

Louise Thomas

Editor

The Glastonbury music festival could be cancelled due to the threat of a swine flu pandemic.

Festival organisers are to hold an emergency meeting to draw up plans on how to respond if the potentially deadly virus were to reach pandemic levels before the festival takes place at the end of June.

The news will no doubt alarm the 137,500 music lovers who have already bought tickets to the UK's biggest music festival which Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Blur were set to headline.

The Sun newspaper source quoted as festival source as saying: "So many people gathered in one place is a risk and if the Government wanted to pull public events, like in Mexico, we'd be one of the first to go.

"It would be crazy not to put a plan in place. Right now though, it is still full steam ahead."

A Glastonbury spokesman said: "We are monitoring all developments. At this stage the festival is going ahead and we are continuing to work flat out to make it a success."

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