Was Robbie worth it?

Robbie Williams fans complained of dangerous overcrowding and shambolic organisation after the star's sell-out concerts at Knebworth over the weekend.

Many said they had been crushed as 125,000 people crammed into the 250-acre site for each of the three nights. Friday's concert had been blighted by traffic chaos, with cars gridlocked for eight miles and many fans having to listen to the concert from the hard shoulder.

On Saturday, some concertgoers had to queue for six hours to exit the site in Hertfordshire and took until the following morning to arrive home.

Having heard of the traffic problems over the first two days, thousands chose to turn up early yesterday - adding to the problems controlling the massive crowds.

As the gates opened at lunchtime, the crowd surged forward to be near the stage. Around 90,000 people had arrived by 2pm.

Arguments broke out in the crush as people tried to stake their claim to a patch of ground.

Realising they were stuck in the baking heat for the next seven or so hours, tempers flared as people fought through the crowds to buy water and get to the toilets.

The organisers tried to ease the problems by handing out bottles of water and the situation had calmed down by the early evening. Victoria Drosdzowski, 20, from Stoke-on-Trent, said she feared for children who were caught up in the crowds and asked why the organisers did not have marshals.

'It's positively dangerous,' she said. 'There's no one to ask or sort out the problems. We are packed in like sardines and everybody's pushing and shoving.'

Karen Taylor, 53, from London, said she had seen only three policemen and one steward. 'It's so upsetting,' she said. 'There's fighting and arguing.

'Why did the organisers allow so many people in? If I'd known how many tickets were being issued I wouldn't have booked. I'm writing to complain.'

Huw Lynd- Evans, who attended on Saturday, said it took him until 5.30am to get home to Mansfield and he saw little of the concert.

'What I did not expect was not being able to see the stage from inside the venue,' he said. 'This is a clear case of greed over common sense.'

Tony Nickeas, from Liverpool, said: 'Kids are coming out upset because they can't see anything at all. I spoke to two young girls who got knocked over in the crush.'

A spokesman for the promoters Metropolis said: 'A small number of concert-goers have left the site due to the large crowds and the heat. The casualties have been low and mostly due to dehydration. We think the number of people who left the site is quite low considering there are 125,000 people here.'

He said that no refunds would be given. A spokesman for Hertfordshire Police said the traffic problems of the first two nights had eased because fans arrived early. He was unable to say how many officers were on duty but added that it was a 'fair number'.

Despite the massive numbers attending the concerts, Williams's latest single, Something Beautiful, failed to reach number one yesterday.

It entered the charts at number three, with top spot taken by Blu Cantrell with Breathe.