Carnival stopped mid-procession due to gas leak

A carnival in Somerset was cancelled midway through its procession due to a gas leak.

The organisers of the Ilminster Carnival were forced to cancel the planned procession on Saturday after a gas leak was found near the start of the route.

Organisers said the decision to cancel the remainder of the carnival was made at 20:55 BST, adding that "the safety of our entrants, spectators, volunteers and emergency responders was our priority throughout".

Steve Dawe, chair of Harlequin Carnival Club, praised the efforts of the marshals, stewards and volunteers who kept participants and spectators calm and informed.

Dawe said that while he was disappointed, his "heart went out" to the organisers.

"All of the people on our cart were disappointed as they were looking forward to seeing their friends and neighbours," he said.

"Public safety has to come first though, and everything is okay now, which is all that anyone can ask for."

In a statement, Ilminster Carnival Committee said the first report of a suspected gas leak was received just after 20:00 BST, about 45 minutes after the procession began.

Fire crews were at the scene by 20:20 BST, with the decision to cancel the remainder of the carnival coming 35 minutes later.

The gas company then attended to make emergency repairs.

"We know how disappointing this was for everyone, particularly our entrants and everyone who worked to make the evening possible", the committee said.

"The committee has been overwhelmed by the kind messages received from the public, entrants and fellow committees.

"We would like to thank all the emergency services who assisted us in dealing with the situation, the gas company for its response, and our marshals and volunteers for their efforts throughout the evening."

Devon Truck Show, who led the procession, said: "Months and months of work, planning and preparation have gone into tonight.

"Of course, public safety must always come first - but we can only imagine how devastating that decision must have been for the committee".

Devon Truck Show also encouraged donations to the committee, saying that "cancelling a carnival doesn't cancel the bills".

"Thousands of pounds will already have been committed to things such as insurance, security, medical cover, road management, toilets and all of the other infrastructure required to safely put an event like this on."

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