First day of food and drink festival cancelled after storm

The overnight storm blew stalls into shopfronts and scattered stock over the street

The first day of a popular food and drink festival has been cancelled while "extensive clean-up operations" take place after a storm wrecked market stalls overnight.

About twenty traders who had set up on Newport Street for the Bolton Food and Drink Festival found their stands had been blown over and stock scattered over the street by Storm Lilian.

The damage has forced Bolton Council to cancel the first day of the weekend-long festival, which is now scheduled to get underway on Saturday.

Helen Woolstencroft, of crafts store Lillies said she was "absolutely devastated" to see most of her stock had been lost.

Helen Wolstencroft has lost most of her stock in the storm

Sarah Aspden, a stallholder and organiser said she was called this morning to be told many of the stands on Newport Road had been damaged.

"I told the others the devastating news, I didn't think it would be as bad it was", she said.

"I've been sat making stock for weeks and weeks, and I don't do markets in August in the build up to this," Ms Wolstencroft told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We’ve just got rally around and look after each other."

A spokeswoman for Bolton Council said efforts were underway to get "as much of the festival site as possible" ready for Saturday.

The decision to postpone was "not taken lightly", but the safety of all involved was the council's "top priority", she added.

It is not the start organisers of the festival, billed as the "largest of its kind in the UK", had wanted.

But organisers are hoping to build on the success of last year's event which attracted more than half a million people.

The festival is centred on Victoria Square outside Bolton Town Hall, with two stages set for live music alongside the hundreds of market stalls.

The festival began 19 years ago and in 2023 welcomed half a million people

Celebrity chefs James Martin and Ainsley Harriot are topping the bill at the festival which will also feature live music, cooking demonstration and more than 200 market stalls.

Bolton councillor Nadeem Ayub said the "incredible" annual event, running from 23 to 26 August, helped ensure that local businesses were "thriving".

Street performances, play activities for children, shows and other entertainment have also been planned.

Mr Ayub, said many had "worked especially hard" to make the event inclusive and ensure "there is something to be enjoyed by all".

“Each year I am blown away by Bolton Food and Drink Festival and the lineup for this year looks incredible."