GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL - GLASTONBURY SWINE FLU COULD SPELL END OF FESTIVAL

GLASTONBURY SWINE FLU COULD SPELL END OF FESTIVAL

The fate of this summer's Glastonbury Festival could rest on the spread of swine flu, it has been claimed.

Organisers of the long-running Somerset event are to hold talks to outline the best approach to managing the festival should the outbreak of the virus reach pandemic levels before the end of June.

Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Blur are headlining the 2009 event with all 137,500 tickets sold for the Westcountry gathering but festival bosses have confirmed they are looking at possible responses to a swine flu spread.

"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," a festival insider was quoted by the Sun newspaper as saying. "It would be crazy not to put a plan in place."

However, the source sought to allay any over-reaction, adding: "Right now though, it is still full steam ahead."

An official Glastonbury spokesman later 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."

The 2009 Glastonbury Festival takes place between June 24th and June 29th.