POLICE say a 40-year-old solstice reveller found dead in a camper van at Silbury Hill on Monday, could have died from the effects of drugs or alcohol.

Tests are still taking place to ascertain how the man, believed to be from the London area, died.

The Wiltshire coroner, David Masters, has been informed of the death and will be opening an inquest, possibly later this week.

Police said yesterday they were unable to name the man although they know his identity, because they were still trying to contact some members of his family to inform them of the tragedy.

Police and an ambulance were called to a caravanette in the layby at Silbury Hill at about 9pm on Monday. By then the reveller was dead.

Officers believe he had attended the solstice celebrations at Stonehenge at dawn on Monday.

All the Stonehenge celebrants were moved off and many headed for the Avebury area where there had been a much smaller gathering for this year's solstice.

Police say their inquiries indicated that the man was not living in the motor home in which he was found dead but had hitched a lift from Stonehenge to Avebury.

In a statement, Acting Det Sgt Marcus Tawn said: "Officers from Kennet CID are investigating the possibility that controlled drugs or alcohol may be a contributory factor in this death.

"The exact cause of the death of this man has yet to be established."

Police put out a general warning about the dangers of using controlled drugs especially when combined with alcohol.

Druid Terry Dobney, who calls himself the Keeper of the Stones and leads the solstice celebrations at Avebury, said the dead man was not known to any of the regular attenders.

Mr Dobney said: "Nobody from around here knows of him and we believe he was just passing through.

"We understand he had his girlfriend with him at the time."