help - trying to put new light up but too many wires !

I hope someone can help explain what is going on here....
I am trying to put a new light fitting up in our bedroom, and so took the old one down expecting to find two pairs of wires (each with live, neutral and earth) but what I have actually connected to the old fitting was four sets of wires, each with L,N and Earth (so 12 wires in total). The four earth wires have been connected to form two wires. Also, one of the black wires has a small red ring around it.

How do I connect this up to my new light ??

Do I put all the reds together and connect them, and the same with the blacks ? Or do I need to separate these off somehow ? The new light fitting has just got a "chocolate block" fitting for the wires to go into, so I couldn't get all 4 of one colour into one hole anyway.....

Any advice that anyone can give would be appreciated, as I have all these wires hanging down and obviously need to get them connected in some way tonight !

The black cable with red mark on it goes in to your L of your new fitting.
All your reds will go in to a bit of choc block.
Your blacks will go in the N of your fitting, if they all dont physically fit, put them in choc bloc and take a lead out and in to your N connection.
Put all your earths in to the Earth connection in fitting, if there isnt one put them in choc bloc
hope this helps

//wiki.diynot.com/electrics:lighting:problems:blackswlive

Are there two lights in the room?

You have an extra cable than is standard. It may be that it is a switched live and neutral another light in the room, or it may be a permanent live and neutral to something else such as a loft light.

Hi Mate, You have got a lighting circuit wired in whats called the loop-in system. The red (live) wires you will need to connect these into a connector block and the same with the earths and the blacks (neutral) except the one with the red ring round it. This wire is your switch wire coming back from the switch, this will have to go into a seperate connector block which will be the live for your light. You will then need to connect your new light fitting into the connector block.
ie. Live = Black with the Red ring
Neutral = Black Wires
Earth = Green/Yellow

thanks for all the advice - all sorted now