A market town in rural England will not be allowed to host its annual spring fair because organizers neglected to prepare for a terrorist attack.
Devizes, Wiltshire, has for decades hosted a fete on May Day, the British public holiday which falls on the first Monday of May.
But this year the festivities have been called off because bureaucrats judged that the town of 11,000 was not ready for an attack by extremists.
According to the Daily Mail, Wiltshire Council told local organizers that plans for the event did not meet new, enhanced standards and could not “guarantee the safety” of those attending.
Local planners said the decision to call off the event was “ridiculous”, noting that their small town is hardly a prime target for the likes of ISIS.
May Day celebrations typically feature street stalls, musicians, charity prize draws and local youth groups.
Previous years have featured a Victorian-style fairground carousel as the centerpiece.
A 2014 report from the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald said:
Trade and charity stalls included Guides, Scouts, Wiltshire Museum and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.
Fantasy Radio was broadcasting and entertainers included a unicyclist juggling his fire torches, a Devizes samba band and Garry J Foley performing his Elvis Presley tribute act.
There was Punch and Judy, a bouncy castle, a steam engine, vintage cars and military vehicles.
Organizer Roger Stratton told the Mail: “Clearly the likelihood of a terrorist attack in Devizes Market Place on May 1 is a very, very remote risk indeed.”
Town councillor Albert Woolridge also objected, saying: “We’ve been hosting this event for many years and it raises quite a lot of money for local charities… The idea of a terror attack seems far-fetched to me.”
Featured image via Flickr/Ed Webster
