Council sorry for fire engine show cancellation
The fire engine show was due to last all weekend but the event was cancelled on Sunday morning
At a glance
Stockton Council apologies for cancelling the second day of the Fire Engine and Vintage Vehicle Show
Strong winds were forecast, with gazebos at risk of being torn from their pegs
While some show-goers understand, others call it a shambles
- Published
A council has apologised for cancelling a fire engine show on the day it was due to be held over fears of strong winds.
Stockton Borough Council said the Fire and Vintage Vehicle Show had been due to go ahead as planned on Sunday up until 09:30 GMT when "wind gusts increased measurably".
With winds of up to 40mph predicted and gazebos already being lifted from their pegs, the council cancelled the show.
While many show-goers said they understood the reasoning, others called it a shambles.
The council said it was "so sorry" but it was "just not safe go ahead" with the second day of the weekend-long event.
The authority said no members of the public had been allowed in by the point of cancellation and initially claimed no payments had been taken, although it later said a "small number of card payments were taken by one kiosk operative".
'Shambles with communication'
A spokesman said those who paid by card would be automatically refunded within five working days while cash refunds were "dealt with on site, barring one or two exceptions where people have contacted us since".
In response to the council's alert on social media, one woman wrote: "Disappointing for all involved but it's far better to be safe than sorry."
But another said there had been a "shambles with communication" with people queuing to get in, not knowing what was happening.
It was the first time the event, which attracted large crowds on Saturday, had been held since 2018.
The show was cancelled in 2019 because of water-logged field and by the coronavirus pandemic the following two years.