A MAJOR confrontation between travellers and the police is feared by local people in Avebury.

Villagers believe trouble during the annual solstice is inevitable unless the number of travellers coming to take part is strictly controlled.

Wiltshire police sent Supt Jerry Wickham and Insp Bill Dowling to an Avebury Parish Council meeting to hear the views of the village about the way this year's solstice was handled.

Parish councillors have called for Avebury to be given the same protection as Stone-henge.

Several claimed that, although there is a village within the Avebury monument, Stonehenge always received higher profile policing.

Council chairman John Cronk said Stonehenge could be closed to the public because it was a contained monument, but Avebury could not because there was a community within its circle of ancient stones.

He added: "I have always been concerned about the risk of confrontation in the middle of the village."

He referred to a huge stand-off between travellers and police officers in 1985 at Cholderton.

Trouble was sparked when a convoy heading for nearby Stonehenge was halted by officers.

The ensuing confrontation came to be known as the Battle of the Beanfield.

Coun Cronk said: "We are all aware of what happened then, and we do not want that in our village."

He added that when the police became concerned about the number of people gathering outside the Red Lion at 9.30pm on this year's solstice night, he was asked if he wanted the pub closed down.

He told officers he was against that move in case it led to a confrontation.

Coun Cronk said: "The vexing problem is how do you contain a situation like this in the middle of a village?

"I am very mindful of the path police have to tread between protecting civil liberties and trying to protect us."

Supt Wickham said the problem at Avebury was that the numbers of people attending Stonehenge for the solstice celebration had grown from 8,000 in the year 2000 when managed access was granted for the first time, to an estimated 23,500 this year.

Many of those at Stone-henge wanted to go to the Glastonbury Festival eight days later, but as they were not permitted to remain at Stonehenge, headed to Ave-bury for the intervening period.

Supt Wickham said: "They come to Avebury because it is seen as a soft option.

"There is no doubt with the way things are going that the pressure on Avebury is going to get greater."

Coun Cronk said residents in Avebury could not understand why their village was not given the same level of protection as Stonehenge.

Supt Wickham replied that 300 officers were deployed at Stonehenge this year.

He revealed that plans were already being made to provide a considerably greater number of officers at Avebury for future solstice celebrations.

And he added: "I can give you an assurance that on June 21 next year the police will be in Avebury in much greater numbers than they were this year."