Thousands gather for sunrise on summer solstice
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Emer Martin12 April 2012
More than 20,000 druids and visitors gathered at Stonehenge this morning to see sunrise on the summer solstice.
They were treated to the first bright dawn since 2003, marking the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
Police described the celebrations as some of the safest in years, despite 34 arrests for minor drug offences.
Stonehenge is a celebrated spot for festivities during the summer solstice, particularly for druids and pagans who hold religious ceremonies to mark the occasion.
The summer solstice is one of the few days in the year that visitors are allowed to walk around the stones.
Druids, a pagan religious order dating back to Celtic Britain, believe Stonehenge was a centre of spiritualism more than 2,000 years ago.
