ORGANISERS for Ledbury and Ross Carnivals, the two large-scale carnivals still left in the county, have joined forces in the light of a shortfall of helpers and fear that red tape is 'strangling' public celebrations.

The Ledbury Town Carnival committee is facing a number of resignations this autumn, including the chairman, Hilary Jones, and assistance from outside was called in this year, to help keep the show on the road.

Mrs Jones said: "It's helpers we need. This year, three folks from Ross Carnival came to help us, because they know how difficult it is.

"We will try to work with them too, so that we can support each other."

The President of the Ledbury Carnival Association, former town mayor, Ken Davies, has also gone on record to say the main problem is not only the need for more committee members; "it is the need for more helpers".

But another challenge facing Ledbury Carnival is a perceived rise in extent of red tape, so that the tradition of a large procession through the market town can actually continue.

Mrs Jones said: "We're lucky we even had a carnival this year, with all the form-filling we had to do.

"You used to just apply for road closures, now you have to have a planning document and public liability is a must.

"It's like another full-time job to keep on top of all that."

She feared that red tape could end up "strangling" the carnival; but Mrs Jones added: "It's not just us. It's country wide.

"But if you are a steward, you can't rattle a bucket, and sweets cannot be thrown from lorries, and you have to tell people not to dangle their legs off lorries.

"We had to have a meeting with Herefordshire Council with just a few days to go. It's the way things are going."

But a Herefordshire Council spokesman said the regulations that Ledbury Carnival and other carnivals must adhere to are not a new thing, but have been in place for 15 years.

The spokesman said: "Temporary events are regulated under the Licensing Act 2003. It is the statutory duty of the Licensing Authority to ensure that event organisers comply with the regulations of the Act in the interest of public safety.

“The Temporary Event Notice application forms are designed and prescribed by the Government and the Local Authority has no discretion to step outside of either the forms or the legislation.”

Crunch meetings could be the Ledbury Carnival Committee's open meeting, on September 17, in the Market House on 7.30pm, and the AGM, also in the Market House, on November 12.

Earlier this month, Mrs Jones revealed she would stand down as chairman this year and said at the time: "We do need new committee members. If there is no committee to run it, the carnival can't continue.

"There are specific tasks people can do, and there's a little group of us, six or seven, doing all those jobs."

This week, however, she said: "We hope there will be a carnival next year. We have to be hopeful."