Tonight's PartyOn parade cancelled

7:51am Saturday 12th July 2008

THE PartyOn fancy dress event due to take place in Taunton tonight has been cancelled.

The event, to be staged in a marquee in Vivary Park, has had its licence cancelled by magistrates following concerns over public safety by the police and Taunton Deane Council.

Party-goers have criticised the move and have been having their say on this website - to add your views, fill in the comment form below.

The organiser, Benjamin Arnold, has told somersetcountygazette.co.uk he is outraged at the decision.

Police and the council applied to magistrates yesterday to cancel the event, fearing drunken behaviour and claimed there had been a breach of agreement on ticket sales.

Insp Mike Ashwin, from the Somerset Tackling Alcohol-Related Crime partnership, said: "We understand this decision may be a disappointment to some people, but public safety has to be police and Taunton Deane Council's priority.

"We have a duty of care to Taunton residents and feel that allowing the PartyOn event to go ahead will be likely to result in public disorder.

"PartyOn has been irresponsibly advertised on social networking sites encouraging drunken behaviour and breaching the agreed conditions around ticketed sales.

"Both police and the licensing authority have since failed to be satisfied by the event organisers in regard to public safety and the number of people attending the event.

"We have been working very hard with festival organisers to make the party at Vivary Park a safe event, and although we don't want to spoil people's fun, we believe that it is in the publics' best interest for the event to sadly not go ahead."

Mr Arnold said: "I'm outraged, I'm lost for words.

"It's a charity event and we've invested a massive amount of time and money in organising this."

"Please be assured that we did everything in our power to keep the event on.

The application to cancel the event was under Section 160 of the Licensing Act.

More details for people who have bought tickets to follow.

Tell us what you think - a good safety decision or over the top? Just fill in the comment form below ...