Matlock Bath illuminations saved after fears of cliff fall

The illuminations event includes a parade of decorated boats on the River Derwent

A town's illuminations which attract thousands of people every autumn have been saved from the axe.

The event in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, was under threat due to fears a cliff could collapse on to a public footpath.

The 250-year-old passage which forms part of Lovers' Walks is used as an emergency escape route during the festival.

Derbyshire Dales District Council has now agreed to pay for remedial work costing about £25,000.

The authority closed the path along the River Derwent after experts found loose blocks of limestone ranging in size from 1cm to 2m in the cliff.

The riverside footpath is an emergency exit for the illuminations

The area affected includes the stretch from New Bridge in Derwent Gardens to Jubilee Bridge.

The original Lovers' Walks was created before 1742 and has been used as a public space ever since.

Work to make the area safe is expected to take three weeks.

Thousands of people watch the parade from the riverside