THOUSANDS cheered as the 30ft high Beltain wicker man went up in flames at Butser Ancient Farm.

Beltain (or Beltane), is the ancient Celtic celebration of the start of summer, with music, dancing and the burning of the giant wicker man.

Tunes from the exhuberant Irish band Feckless started the dancing, and as dusk drew in Mythago Morris dancers set the tone for the pagan fire ceremony.

Lit by a young lad, the wicker man took a while to catch, but once it did, the towering, wind driven flames lit up the thousands of spectators, while the frenetic, repetative beat of the Pentangle Drummers added to the pre-history atmosphere at the Iron Age village between Petersfield Clanfield.

As the flames died, the crowd headed back to the car park on the far side of a hill west of the Iron Age farm buildings. Flaming torches carried by festival goers lit the way through the fields