Organisers pledge cancelled Matlock Bath raft race will return

An annual Boxing Day raft race that was cancelled to due high river levels will return, organisers have said.

The charity event, in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, was cancelled on Christmas Eve with River Derwent water levels forecast to top 2.3m (7ft 5in).

Organisers of Tuesday's race, which was due to feature custom-built rafts, said anything above 1.8m (5ft 9in) was considered unsafe.

They said they would look to make next year's event "even more memorable".

Terry Radford, a member of the organising committee, told BBC Radio Derby: "The river levels dictate when it is safe and when it is not - it [was] simply too high and too fast which isn't surprising due to the amount of rain we have had recently."

The event, which first began in 1961, sees teams compete over a 3.5-mile (5.6km) stretch in a variety of themed rafts to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

It was also called off in 2019 due to river debris and in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

A spokesperson said: "We are already planning for the 2024 Raft Event, aiming to make it an even more impactful and memorable experience.

"We eagerly anticipate your participation in what promises to be a fantastic event next Boxing Day."

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