Nottingham Bonfire Night event axed over spiralling costs

Nottingham's annual Bonfire Night event has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to spiralling costs.

Nottingham City Council said it had "reluctantly" made the decision to cancel the event, scheduled for the Forest Recreation Ground on 5 November.

The authority said the costs of running the event, which includes a fireworks display, have doubled since 2022.

It would have been the first time in four years it had been held, following Covid cancellations in 2020 and 2021.

The announcement comes with the council under scrutiny over its financial situation.

Auditors who were asked to review the authority's books after it was found millions of pounds meant for housing and tenants had been unlawfully transferred said its financial management was "not fit for purpose" in June.

The free Bonfire Night event was set to cost the council and Mellors Group - which would have funded a third of the project - around £60,000, up from £30,000 the year before, the council said.

Pavlos Kotsonis, from the council, said: "We did not want to have to take this decision, but with increasing financial pressures in a very difficult current economic climate, we were left with no choice.

"We understand that this will be a big disappointment to families across Nottingham who look forward each year to a firework celebration at the Forest Recreation Ground, but we have a responsibility with budgets so tight to justify every pound that's spent."

The authority said it looked at a number of options to help finance the event, but none would have raised the required income.

However, the council said it will continue looking for sponsorship opportunities to support its events programme into the future.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].