Medics warn of trench foot at Glastonbury

IT HASN’T been common for decades but medics at the world’s most iconic music festival are warning people to watch for the return of a nasty condition.

IT’S not something you normally associate with Tibetan flags and flower crowns but doctors at Glastonbury music festival are warning revellers to watch out for a particularly nasty disease.

Trench foot is on the list of common ailments seen at the five-day affair which can turn into a 1000 acre mud-fest when the weather is bad.

“When it rains we see trench foot, diarrhoea and knee and ankle injuries,” chief pharmacist on site, Martin Taylor told The Times.

IN PICTURES: Glastonbury 2015 gets underway

In 1998 more than 90 cases of the disease — which is due to having wet feet for long periods of time and can lead to gangrene and a nasty smell — were recorded every day.

“When it’s hot, you get lots of eye problems because of the dust, lots of asthma, and dehydration is a big problem. We hope we’ve prepared for everything — even for people giving birth, which has happened in recent years. We do have midwives working here,” he said.

It may be 2015, but some diseases just never go out of fashion.

Friends Precious Bevington and Adam Sprules loving life on Worthy Farm. Picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

The iconic festival kicked off on Wednesday with 100,000 people flooding the grounds of the genteel dairy farm.

In addition to some of the hottest musical acts on the planet including The Who, Florence and the Machine and Kanye West, it features a host of environmental and social initiatives — loo with a view anyone?

While most of the revellers camp, there are luxury options for those that don’t want to get down and dirty in the trenches.

A Pop Up Hotel on site has a day spa, swimming pool, concierge and private helicopter on offer with a safari style ensuite tent available for a cool $10,000.

GThe Pop Up Hotel — for those that don’t want to rough it. Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images.

Nothing nasty lurking in here. Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images.

On Wednesday organisers drew the ire of China for hosting the Dalai Lama on stage. Beijing authorities slammed the organisers for giving the Tibetan leader an outlet for what they deem “spiritual terrorism”.

Festival organiser Emily Eavis said she was ‘honoured’ to host him at the event.

Today, singer Charlotte Church will host a conversation with Russian activists Pussy Riot.

Meanwhile speculation is rife Taylor Swift will fill the spot on the bill vacated by Florence and the Machine after they were called up to replace the Foo Fighters as headliners.

Azealia Banks was also forced to pull out of her Saturday night spot and will be replaced by The Strypes.

The festival will become a substantial town for the five days of the event. Picture: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP.

Besties: Friends outside their tent on day one of the festival which will be headlined by Kanye West and Florence and the Machine. Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images.

People dancing at ‘The Glade’ on Worthy Farm. Oicture: AFP/OLI SCARFF