Firework event cancelled after venue becomes 'lake'

Fairground rides had already started moving on to The Walks in King's Lynn

One of the East of England's biggest firework displays has been cancelled after heavy rain turned the venue into a "lake".

Fawkes in the Walks was due to be held in King's Lynn, Norfolk, on Friday night with about 18,000 expected to attend.

The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, which organised the event, said following an assessment of The Walks on Friday morning, it would be "unsafe" for it to go ahead.

Councillors said they were looking to move the firework display to next Friday, and that a decision would be made on Monday.

"We've got a lake in the middle of The Walks, and with the high tides and the amount of rain we've had over the last 36 hours, the rain just wasn’t going anywhere," said Simon Ring, an independent councillor and cabinet member for tourism, events and marketing.

"We just couldn't safely hold 18,000 people, or anything near that, on the space we've got left that is safe."

Last year, about 18,000 people attended Fawkes in the Walks

Fawkes in the Walks was first held in 2008 and has remained a free event.

Fairground rides and a live music stage had already moved on to the site in preparation for Friday night.

Storm Ciarán hit Norfolk on Thursday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.

Environment Agency flood warnings and alerts remain in place in parts of the county.

More heavy rain is forecast for King's Lynn on Saturday.