PARKING permits are being offered to those due to be affected by road closures during an annual blues festival.

Upton Blues Festival will hand out free permits to people who live or work in the town, enabling access to residential areas.

Organisers are closing the roads because of the number of people walking in the streets at last year's event.

Festival bosses fear terrorists could carry out a 'vehicle-ramming attack' at the event, which takes place between July 20 and July 22.

Grahame Bunn, chairman of Upton Blues Festival, said: “The safety measures we have been required to follow for key roads to be closed off during the weekend, plus the necessary diversions, will create some inconvenience which we want to minimise.

“The mix of thousands of festival-goers and normal traffic flows in High Street and Old Street is an accident in waiting and as a committee and as a town we cannot risk this.

"We believe a parking permit system will benefit residents."

The permits will provide access to Minge Lane, in Upton, which will be closed for everyone else between 10am to 10pm each day.

Parents whose children attend Upton Primary School can also claim permits.

Church Street, High Street and Old Street will also be closed from 6pm to midnight on Friday and from noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday.