TALKS have been held about whether to close an ancient right of way near Stonehenge to the public.

Byway 12 is where Druid leader King Arthur Pendragon once set up a picket calling for the stones to be left unfenced and open to the public.

A court ordered him to dismantle it in 2009 after Wiltshire Council said he was blocking a right of way which it had a duty to keep open.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey visited the World Heritage Site on Wednesday to learn more about its traffic problems.

Since the closure of the old public car park, passing motorists have been parking on the byway to take a look at the monument, rather than paying to use the new £27m visitor centre.

A ‘no right turn’ sign has proved an inadequate deterrent, and drivers trying to make the turn are holding up the traffic.

Mr Vaizey, who was met by English Heritage and Wiltshire Council staff, took the official route to the stones.

One way of closing the byway would be to put a statutory instrument through Parliament, but nothing is likely to be done until after the summer.

The Minister also met Salisbury MP John Glen, who said: “I took the opportunity to tell him about how recent changes to the road system have adversely impacted traffic, and the enormous apprehension that exists as we approach the peak tourist season.”

Mr Glen wants to see the A303 put through a tunnel, and is continuing to investigate the potential cost.