Donington Park's Download Festival have taken steps to avoid the traffic chaos surrounding last year's event.

The 2023 Festival was dogged by problems with jams heading to the rock music event.

Drivers were affected locally along with people trying to get to East Midlands Airport.

This year's Download returns on June 14-16 - with organisers drawing up a new traffic plan following last year's difficulties.

The BBC website reports that it includes scanning parking tickets further into the venue - instead of where you enter - to get people off the roads quicker.

Festival booker Andy Copping said: "We knew it was something that we had to focus on for this year."

Queens of the Stone Age, Fall Out Boy and Avenged Sevenfold are among this year's headliners.

But drivers have been warned the M1, A42, A453, A50 and A38 are expected to see significant increases in traffic from Wednesday, June 12, when campsites open, and when people leave on Sunday night and Monday morning.

Roads from Ashby de la Zouch towards Castle Donington were also affected.

Ashby-based leader of Leicestershire County Council also cast doubts over the future of the event if there were to be a repeat.

National Highways has urged people driving to the festival to allow extra time for their journeys.

It has also told motorists to follow signs to the festival, which is being headlined by Queens of the Stone Age, rather than rely on sat-navs.

Drivers have also been advised not to assume the route or entry point they have used in previous years will be the same.

Extra National Highways traffic patrols will be deployed during the festival

There will be more parking fields than in previous years with an increased number of access gates, National Highways said, and people will be able to scan a QR code on their parking passes for live updates on car park availability and capacity.

Pick-up and drop-off points will not be in the same areas as the camping entrances to reduce congestion, officials have said.

National Highways also said it would deploy extra traffic patrols to try to keep vehicles moving.

It advised anyone with a flight to catch at East Midlands Airport to allow more time for their journey and urged non-festival traffic to avoid the area.

Festival director Jess Shields told the BBC: "We are really aware of the issues that took place last year.

"The format of this year's event is quite different. We now have two arrival days as opposed to one last year so we can spread arrivals over two days.

"We have been working really closely with National Highways and the council to make sure everyone's happy with the plans we have in place."

She said there would also be fewer people attending the event in general so fewer cars on the road.