Thousands greet the sun at Stonehenge solstice celebration

STONEHENGE: Thousands flocked to Stonehenge on Saturday to greet sunrise at the ancient British monument on the northern hemisphere's shortest day of the year.

Spectators cheered and applauded as the sun rose over the neolithic site in southwest England at the winter solstice, a pagan celebration that is believed to have been observed there for thousands of years.

Druids and those wearing folk dress were among the 4,500-strong crowd marking the beginning of the day.

It is one of the few days of the year when visitors are allowed to touch the stones, which are situated on the alignment of the midsummer sunrise and the midwinter sunset

"This is all about renewal, rebirth, we're entering into the new year, and it's also a good time to acknowledge what's taking place in the year that's been," civil servant Chris Smith, 31, told the Press Association.

The Neolithic circle of giant stones has been a source of wonder and mystery for almost 5,000 years - in the Middle Ages, the wizard Merlin of Arthurian legend was said to have stolen the monument from Ireland.