THE Rolling Stones boarded a private jet at Bournemouth Airport on Monday afternoon.

The wrinkly rockers and their 50-strong entourage bypassed the passenger terminal and were ushered to their plane.

Hundreds of holidaymakers queuing tourist class were unaware the stars went through customs and security in a Jumpin' Jack Flash.

With their arrival and departure cloaked in anonymity and those in the know sworn to secrecy, there were no screaming fans.

Not even the doubled police presence - two uniformed bobbies hanging around the short stay car park - gave a clue to the passengers in the luxury limousines and people carriers which whisked the rock stars to the airport apron.

One Stone, believed to be ash-snorting guitarist Keith Richards, headed off pre-flight nerves by lighting up on the ground while waiting for frontman Mick Jagger, who made his own dramatic arrival after the rest of the band.

The five, who have strummed and strutted their way from 60s rebels to rebels in their 60s, were reported to have spent the night together at the five-star Chewton Glen Hotel near Highcliffe in the wake of their storming performance in front of 60,000 fans as the closing act of the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday night.

They were bound for Germany to resume their long-running A Bigger Bang Tour with a concert in Frankfurt tomorrow.

For fans who missed a chance to get a free glimpse of the rock gods, it shows you can't always get what you want.

  • The Stones sparked a protest after fans returning from the Isle of Wight discovered the band and entourage had taken over the whole 12.35am Wightlink ferry.

Dave Stone, of Bournemouth, was among the disappointed festival-goers who had to wait for a 2am sailing. Wightlink has said it contacted all passengers who had a booking.