Lewes Bonfire: Town gears up for annual celebration

The procession through the town sees people holding effigies, drumming and burning crosses.

Preparations are under way for a hugely-popular bonfire celebration in East Sussex.

Organisers believe more people than usual may attend this year's Lewes Bonfire as the event is on a Saturday.

Concerns have been raised by those involved in organising the event about potential rain and overcrowding.

Sussex Police told people from outside Lewes not to travel to the town after last year's event saw tens of thousands of people attending.

Lewes Bonfire is organised by seven bonfire societies, many of which date back to the 19th Century.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, Mick Symes, chairman of Lewes Borough Bonfire Society, said he not think people will be deterred by rain.

"It's a Saturday. People want to see it. They want to be part of this fantastic experience," he said.

Mick Symes, chairman of Lewes Borough Bonfire Society, does not think crowds will be put off by the weather forecast

Andrew Clarke, the owner of a local shop on Cliffe High Street, described the event as "absolute mayhem" but "great fun".

"It's electric. It is from the word go," he said.

He added: "It goes absolutely crazy. I don't know where these guys get the energy from, never have done."

Multiple road closures and train timetable changes for the event were announced in October.

The closures will be in force from 16:00 GMT and no trains will stop in Lewes after 15:00 BST.

Doug Marshall, from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are urging people to choose locally-organised fireworks events rather than coming to Lewes, as crowded streets make it harder for us to get to people in an emergency and river levels are high which may make it harder to move around safely."

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