A SUNSET ritual by pagan groups was held at Maumbury Rings in Dorchester to unite them in worship.

Some 30 pagans, mostly from Dorset's Dolmen Grove order, took part in an open ritual where they prayed to the spirits of Maumbury for peace and knowledge.

Tony Jameson, a member of the Dolmen Grove, said the event was happy with people singing and making music.

He said: "It was nice because lots of people came from different orders in the area and also some members of the public who just wanted to come along and watch.

"At the moment our focus is very much that the pagan communities should reunite and come together for rituals."

Five members from the Dolmen Grove also attended a ritual at Stonehenge, which was filmed by BBC Timewatch.

The pagans were asked if they wanted to attend before the archaeologists dug up part of the ancient sacred site as part of a dig.

Mr Jameson added: "It was nice to be asked by the production team to go and hold a ceremony because the area to us should be respected. It is one of our temples.

"We asked permission to the spirits and we explained what is going on by the archaeologists."

The aim of the BBC Timewatch dig is to unearth evidence of a new theory that Stonehenge was built to heal the sick.