HUNDREDS of tents and sleeping bags have been rescued from the Isle of Wight Festival site and will be given to refugees in Northern France.

A huge team effort led to the collection of 320 tents and 550 sleeping bags for those less fortunate.

Herts for Refugees worked alongside Festival Republic, Eco Warriorz and Amey Waste Services to clean the site after the 2021 festival, which finished on September 19.

Angus Clark, chair of Herts for Refugees, said: "Firstly we encourage people to recycle. The perception is that it is OK to leave stuff because charities collect it but we would rather they take it home and donate it properly. We only take five per cent of the total waste left behind."

Isle of Wight County Press: Salvage team working for Herts for Refugees at the Isle of Wight Festival.

He said: "But we'd like to thank everyone involved, including the 30 local Isle of Wight volunteers who donated their time to us."

Along with salvage from the Reading Festival, the items will go to frontline refugee services, mainly in Dunkirk.

Charlotte Buttery, co-ordinator for Herts for Refugees, said: "I was impressed with the tidiness on this site compared to others, therefore the message about clearing up is certainly getting through to festivalgoers.

"The salvage took two days. We filled the charity vans that came over as well as a big trailer and we all had a sense of accomplishment at the end, as we were hot and tired, but very happy we were able to help.

"We picked tents and sleeping bags, and on Wednesday morning post festival, they went back to our warehouse on the mainland where the tents will be scrupulously cleaned, and the sleeping bags all washed and hung to dry, then ready for distribution."