Nearly 100,000 festival-goers are expected to arrive for Reading Festival at Little John’s Farm in Richfield Avenue this week to see chart-topping bands take to the stage for three days of live music.

The event is the largest policed by Thames Valley Police and Chief Inspector Dave Parker of Silver Command is leading the operation to make sure it runs smoothly and safely.

Mr Parker said: “Reading Festival is the largest event we police, always attracting a large crowd over the weekend who enjoy the experience and the atmosphere. We work hard to ensure that it is a safe and enjoyable experience for them.

“In the past we have seen significant reductions in all crime types and we are confident of building on that success this year.”

As well as patroling the site the force will be tweeting safety messages to festival-goers throughout the weekend from @TVP_ReadingFest and for the first year it will also be posting pictures on Instagram from @ThamesValleyPolice.

Mr Parker is also urging people not to buy tickets from touts and vendors at the gates or unauthorised websites and warned that the borough council has granted officers a dispersal order which bans vendors from the festival site.

He said: “If you divulge debit or credit card details to the wrong people you could find yourself out of pocket and without a genuine ticket to show for it, as some of the 'tickets’ offered are forgeries.

“This only results in disappointment and unhappiness at the entrance. To avoid getting ripped off, please visit the Reading Festival official site for ticket information.”

Police are urging people not to take expensive items such as MP3 players, iPods, iPads and cameras to the festival and has released a list of precautions for festival-goers to protect themselves and their possessions.

Personal safety

*If you can’t take your valuables with you when you leave the tent, leave them at home

*Put money, tickets, credit cards and mobile phones in a zipped pocket or use a money belt

*Do not bring large sums of cash. Only bring what you need and keep it on you at all times

*Postcode your property with a UV pen which you are planning on bringing to the festival so that it is identifiable. Visit www.securedbydesign.com for more information.

*If you arrive by car, don’t leave anything on display in your vehicle, such as sat navs, car stereos, CDs or mobile phones. Don’t put items in your glove box or the boot and leave your glove box open to show that it does not contain any valuables

Mobile phone security

*Lock: Use the phone’s security lock code or pin number

*Mark: Security mark (in permanent form) the phone and battery with your postcode and the number or name of your home.

*Register: Register the phone with www.immobilise.com. Police use this database to get stolen property back to their owners.

*Stay Alert: When you use a mobile phone, remain aware of your surroundings. Try not to use it in crowded areas or anywhere you feel unsafe.

*Hide: Avoid displaying phones in public view. If you must use the phone, be discreet. Keep it with you at all times and never leave it unattended.

*Record: Keep a record of the phone’s 15 digit serial or IMEI number, which is unique to each phone. Find it by keying in * # 0 6 # * (star, hash, zero, six, hash, star) or by looking behind the battery. This number could help the police trace ownership quickly