RADICAL measures are being introduced to ease traffic congestion and improve public safety at Broadstairs Folk Week in August.

The week-long festival, one of the largest in the south east, regularly attracts tens of thousands of people and last year the increased number of visitors led to complaints about hold-ups in the narrow roads around the town.

The organisers have consulted Thanet police and road closure in a zone around the town centre will be enforced from 8pm - 1pm every evening.

Festival director Jane de Rose said: “This will mean festival visitors will be able to walk around and visit our attractions without the fear of being run over. The added benefit is that public house customers in the closure zone will be able to spill out on to the road without causing a problem.”

She said one of the casualties of the new measures is the torchlight procession at the end of the week: “This year we will only hold one procession on Saturday, August 10, leaving Pierremont Hall in the High Street at 10pm. We promise it will be something a little bit special to make up for the cancellation of the end of festival parade.”

Isle of Thanet Extra and the local KM-FM radio is backing the festival ‘go green’ scheme, and Mrs de Rose said: “We want to actively encourage people to leave their cars at home during the festival and use public transport."

Further details about all folk week events are available from the festival office, 01843 604080, by e-mail info@folk-week.demon.co.uk or via www.broadstairsfolkweek.com.

The souvenir programme detailing all festival events is available from mid June, price £2.50 from local outlets, or £3 by post from the festival office.