THOUSANDS of people expected to visit Pendle Hill this weekend are being told to come prepared by police.

Pendle is open once again from both sides and police are expecting a large number of visitors on Hallowe'en night.

In preparation, police officers in Eastern and Pennine Divisions are asking visitors to be aware of the temporary one-way system that will operate around Pendle on October 31 and to be aware of where they leave their cars. There will also be a temporary 30 mph speed limit from the Pendleton Road junction on the Clitheroe side of Pendle, over the Nick o' Pendle to Sabden.

From the A59 vehicles can travel up the hill and over to Sabden, through to Barley and around the hill. There will be no vehicular access from Sabden village onto the hill. A one way traffic system will be in operation from Barley village to Four lane Ends and road closed signs will be placed across the road at Annals Cross to prevent vehicles travelling into Barley from the Pendle hill road.

Limited parking will be available on the hillside and drivers are asked to leave their sidelights on - there will be no parking allowed at the top of the hill. Anyone parking in the villages of Sabden and Barley should ensure they are not blocking entrances, gateways or drives. No waiting cones will be placed to control parking. Police officers will enforce parking restrictions throughout the evening.

Police officers from Pennine and Eastern Division will be patrolling the roads around the hill and a Mountain Rescue Team will be on standby.

Inspector Bob Ford, of Ribble Valley Police, is asking visitors to come prepared. He said: "We are expecting a large number of people to visit this year and would ask that anyone going onto the hill wear appropriate clothing, stay on designated footpaths and don't wander too far. It is very easy to get lost if the weather is poor or if there is low cloud.

"I also ask that drivers are very careful - the road is unlit and potentially very dangerous for pedestrians."

The one-way system will be in force from around 5pm on Sunday, October 31.