THE thousands of horse racing fans expected to pass through Swindon en route to this week's Cheltenham Festival have been advised to leave as early as possible.

And anyone not attending the races has been advised to travel between 11am and 6pm, which are predicted to be the quietest times of the day.

The festival, which starts tomorrow and runs for three days, will see up to 180,000 punters attend, and extra services are being laid on by Swindon's First Great Western train operator.

Usually the 9.30am from Paddington, which arrives in Swindon at 10.30am, goes on to Cardiff.

During the festival it will instead go to Cheltenham, and is fully booked on all three days.

But there are still seats on earlier Cheltenham services, which after Swindon calls at Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse and Gloucester before Cheltenham.

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