Nottingham fireworks display cancelled over crowd fears

Officials said public safety was the overriding factor in their decision-making

One of the largest fireworks displays in Nottinghamshire has been cancelled due to coronavirus concerns.

The event, which attracts about 40,000 people, is held on the Forest Recreation Ground near the city centre.

Nottingham City Council said it was not confident that visitors to the open site could be safely managed.

The Goose Fair - one of the UK's largest funfairs which is held on the same site - was cancelled in August for the same reasons.

Eunice Campbell-Clark, the council's portfolio holder for leisure and culture, said: "It's one of our most popular free events and we understand people will be disappointed because it follows on from other much-loved attractions being cancelled over the past few months.

"Public safety is the overriding factor in our decision-making and when all options were considered it was felt - like many other towns and cities across the country - that reluctantly we could not ensure a safe event with such large visitor numbers."

The council pointed to other large-scale Bonfire Night celebrations around the UK that have already been cancelled for 2021, including those in Leeds, Glasgow, Cambridge and Brockham, in Surrey - said to be the largest of its kind in the south east.