Concerns for Clapham Common after SW4 dance festival

The common was home to SW4, on August 23 and 24, but concerns have been raised after it left churned up mud in its wake.

The Open Spaces Society, which works to protect common land and public right of way, has protested about the serious damage caused by the festival.

Jeremy Clyne, the society’s representative for Lambeth and Wandsworth, said: "I am horrified by the damage that has been caused. Lambeth Council should be ashamed for allowing it to happen and the society calls on the council to stop it occurring again.

"Clapham Common is an important and much-loved open space, it is unacceptable that it should be regularly degraded in this way, with large areas of the common made completely unusable for months on end." Ownership of Clapham Common is split between Wandsworth and Lambeth councils but Lambeth is responsible for its management.

A Lambeth Council spokesman said: "Two days of heavy rain coinciding with the festival equipment being removed from the common did result in some damaged. However Lambeth Council takes a grounds damage deposit from all event organisers, and in this case the money will be spent on fully restoring the common to its previous condition.

"The straightforward job of restoring the common will take around three weeks. Only a 10th of the land was actually for the event site - so 90 per cent of the common will be free for people to use as normal.

"Residents and friends' groups will be fully informed about the work and its progress."

Clapham Common is usually home to families and young people but bank holiday weekend it became a Mecca for dance-lovers who came to pay homage to a man wearing a giant mouse head.

"Just drop it! Drop it now, I can’t take it anymore!" screamed a woman in the crowd, as thousands held their arms in the air waiting for Deadmau5 to dip his set in his signature way.

Headlining the main stage on the Sunday night, the Canadian born superstar did not disappoint, accompanying his set with entrancing visuals that illuminated the crowd. Even following his firework finale thousands were still cutting some pretty hilarious shapes without any music.

Eric Prydz warmed the crowd up with his ariose beats, along with Pete Tong, Andy C and Wilkinson who kept the big main stage pulling in the crowds throughout the day.

On the first day of the festival, Saturday, the common welcomed electronic dance group Above & Beyond and German DJ Markus Schulz.

Lethal Bizzle also surprised crowds when he joined New Jersey music producer Just Blaze in one of the tents.

However, the real spectacular for most was Joel Zimmerman, the man behind the mouse. His high-energy set, on the final night, kept the crowd hanging on every beat, waiting for his big dips and, by the end, begging for more.