POLICE and Herts Highways are stopping a carnival with a 40-year history from taking place this summer due in part to concerns about security. The Stevenage Carnival, axed in 2003 after 41 years in the town due to increasing costs and health and safety is

POLICE and Herts Highways are stopping a carnival with a 40-year history from taking place this summer due in part to concerns about security.

The Stevenage Carnival, axed in 2003 after 41 years in the town due to increasing costs and health and safety issues, was due to be resurrected on June 6.

But the emergency services, Herts Highways, and Stevenage Borough Council have told the event organisers it cannot go ahead as planned.

Part of the reason for this decision is that the carnival committee failed to submit sufficient information in time to implement the necessary traffic measures.

A spokesman for the Stevenage Safety Advisory Team, which includes representatives from the emergency services, the borough council and the county council, said: "The team has informed the organisers they still have not sent sufficient details, nor addressed certain concerns in relation to the carnival route and security."

Liz Cornell, spokesman for the carnival committee, said the organisers plan to appeal against the decision.

"We have been told they cannot grant the necessary consents for the carnival to take place on June 6," she said.

"We have complied with all requests and submitted what was asked of us by the given time frame, including providing additional information about specific concerns raised.

"We have the assistance of a qualified health and safety and event management adviser, therefore we are confident the plans submitted not only met the brief provided to us, but also meet the stringent safety requirements."

She said the committee is appealing the decision in the hope the event can still go ahead on June 6, but traffic regulation orders take at least three months to process.

The Stevenage Safety Advisory Team spokesman said: "We appreciate the organisers are frustrated by the decision, but an event of this scale has a major impact on local roads and requires careful planning.