Whittlesey Straw Bear Festival cancelled due to Covid rates

The Straw Bear Festival is a traditional annual event in Whittlesey, near Peterborough

Rising Covid rates have led to the cancellation of one of England's quirkiest annual street events.

The Straw Bear Festival - in which a man dances door to door in a costume made of straw - takes place every January in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire.

Data reveals infection rates across the Fenland district rose by 58% in the week to 4 January.

Festival president Brian Kell said organisers did not want to "effectively cause our own spike".

A cancellation notice said: "The committee do not feel that it would be responsible to run an event, in the light of the infection rate rise, that would potentially spread the virus even more and put the town of Whittlesey at further risk."

The January event will not take place in 2022 because of rising Covid rates locally

The original Straw Bear Festival dates back more than a century when it took place on Plough Tuesday - the day after the first Monday after Twelfth Night.

A man or boy would be covered head to toe in straw and dance in exchange for gifts or food, in a nod to the agricultural history of the village.

The event died out in the early 1900s, but was revived in 1980 by the Whittlesey Society.

It was held virtually in 2021 and had been scheduled to take place this year on 14-16 January.

The Straw Bear nips into the George pub in Whittlesey for a pint of Straw ale

"We just could not be held responsible for bringing a surge of people into town and effectively causing our own spike," Mr Kell said.

"My heart goes out to the businesses who have stocked up in anticipation, but we felt we were only being fair to the public and people participating in the event as well."

• COVID VARIANT: How can I tell I have Omicron?

• EDUCATION: Will schools be able to stay open this term?

• NEW RULES: Where do I need to wear a mask now?