Coronavirus: Axed Southampton funfair goes ahead on new site

The fair was set up on private land in Bursledon

A funfair cancelled earlier this month over Covid-19 concerns in Southampton has opened nearby, despite warnings.

Owner Charles Cole was due to stage his fair at Riverside Park earlier this month but it was cancelled by Southampton City Council.

He opened the fair on private land in Bursledon, saying he had received no official orders to close.

Hampshire County Council said it considered funfairs to be unsafe during the pandemic.

The city council had cancelled the fair on the day before it was due to open on 16 September to "minimise the chances of transmission", especially among young people attending.

Mr Cole set up the current fair on private land three miles away - outside the city council's jurisdiction but within the county council's - and opened to the public at 16:00 BST on Thursday.

Mr Cole said he had put measures in place to ensure social distancing before the Riverside Park fair was cancelled.

In a statement, the county council said it would "closely review whether events and activities can take place while fully protecting the public's health".

"Regrettably, given the increasing prevalence of Covid-19 in Hampshire, our view is that it would not be possible to operate fun fair activities which tend to attract large numbers of people, while keeping the public safe."

Mr Cole, who is the fifth generation of his family to operate a fair, said he would not close it unless he was given an instruction in writing to do so from the council.

His company began trading again in August after lockdown restrictions were eased.

Mr Cole previously said he had been "devastated" when the Riverside Park event was cancelled, saying he had complied with all social distancing guidelines.

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