AMAZING aerial pictures released today show the scale of the mess made by Reading Festival.

At least 60,000 tents were abandoned at the site along with other camping gear worth an estimated £1million.

13 The Reading Festival campsite alongside the River Thames is covered with AT LEAST 60,000 abandoned tents Credit: INS News

Huge mounds of rubbish were also shown to be scattered across the festival camping grounds.

The pictures were taken from a helicopter earlier today, capturing the enormous scale of the clean-up operation now facing the festival's organisers.

The 57th Reading Festival took place over three days during the August bank holiday weekend, with its sister festival in Leeds occurring at the same time.

Headliners this year included Fall Out Boy, Kendrick Lamar, and Kings of Leon.

13 One and two-man tents are being piled up in mountains before being cleared away Credit: INS News

13 More than 100,000 people attended Reading Festival across the three day bank holiday weekend Credit: INS News

The poor weather conditions over the weekend meant that Leeds Festival in Bramham Park, which shares acts with Reading Festival, became a mud bath.

Some of the attendees were pictured using tents and blow-up mattresses as sledges on the festival's muddy slopes.

Festival organisers said that most of the items left at the site will be sent to landfill sites rather than being recycled or given to charity.

Tickets for the event cost up to £250, but some punters could also clearly afford to leave their tent and other gear behind at the site.

13 Photos from the ground show a wasteland stretching as far as the eye can see Credit: Paul Jacobs/pictureexclusive.com

13 Diggers have been brought in to aid the enormous clean-up job Credit: INS News

13 The amount of camping equipment left at the site is believed to be worth £1million Credit: INS News

13 Volunteers and contracted rubbish collectors will be slaving away at the site over the coming days Credit: Paul Jacobs/pictureexclusive.com

A spokesman for Reading Borough Council said of the clear-up: "The festival organisers oversee any clean up on the festival site.

"The council cleans outside of the event area in the surrounding parkland and roads. The cost of any additional clean-up work required is covered by the festival organisers.

"This work begins on the Tuesday prior to the event and finishes on the Monday bank holiday evening, operating for 21 hours each day."

A 10ft green barricade around the site that housed music lovers over the August bank holiday acted as an unsightly backdrop to the Thames.

13 The roadways used to navigate the muddy fields are utterly surrounded by waste in every direction Credit: INS News

13 The pictures were taken 24 hours after the campers had gone home at the end of the festival Credit: INS News

13 People poured in by the thousands to the Reading Festival campsite carrying large amounts of camping gear Credit: Paul Jacobs/pictureexclusive.com

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13 The refuse appears to be made up of inflatable mattresses, tent poles and other camping gear Credit: INS News

13 Workers at the site have the daunting job of tidying up all this mess - which took just three days to make Credit: INS News

13 Weather conditions over the weekend made for a particularly muddy Reading and Leeds Festival Credit: INS News

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