The town council in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in England, has cancelled the annual switching-on ceremony of the Christmas lights because the event has become so popular that it attracts thousands of people.
Local authorities said the sheer number of people watching the event provides huge risks.
In December 2005, an estimated 10,000 visitors watched the ceremony, but fire officials say only 2,000 can safely attend the event.
A report by the Daily Mail said council officials have decided to cancel the event to prevent a possible accident.
But Penny Marsden, an independent councilor and shopkeeper, described the decision as "a joke."
She said, "This is a joyous occasion when children come out to enjoy the start of Christmas. And we are going to rob them of it."
Council chief executive Jim Dillon defended the decision and said, "A vast amount of hard work by all parties has been carried out in looking at ways of staging the event safely, but we all feel the risks are far too great."
No comments:
Post a Comment