A popular festive 'Santa parade' in Poole, which usually attracts up to 10,000 people, has been cancelled for the first time in 40 years as the event's organisers are concerned about crowd safety.
The Santa parade in Poole sees Santa Claus arriving at Poole Quay in an RNLI lifeboat before being paraded down Poole's High Street. However, the Dolphin Shopping Centre, which runs the event, has expressed concern over the sheer number of people who flock to see the parade.
John Grinnell, manager of the Dolphin Shopping Centre, said, "We've become a victim of our own success. As we've seen the numbers swell every year, we've become increasingly concerned about the volume of people in such a confined space, especially around moving vehicles."
However, this decision has not been a popular one, and even led to a petition, which gathered over 2,400 signatures, to reinstate the event. Ryan Stiggants, who organised the petition, said, "It is an outrage and a shame that such a fantastic family event would be stopped due to 'health and safety issues'. It gets the whole town into the Christmas spirit and stopping it will be a great loss to people."
Despite the event cancellation, it seems that Poole Borough Council are doing their best to provide an alternative. Council leader Elaine Atkinson said, "The council was disappointed to learn that the annual Santa Parade along the High Street would not be taking place this year. We are currently working hard with partners and the local community to see if there is the possibility of providing an alternative parade."
