Giant threatened with arrest (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Giant threatened with arrest

7:29am Wednesday 16th July 2008 in News By Peggy Clatworthy

A GIANT was threatened with arrest by Tewkesbury police on Saturday.

The twelve foot tall female dragon, called Flora was taking part in a parade to mark the opening of this year's Tewkesbury Medieval Festival.

Police had said that they were unable to support the parade, but were out in force on Saturday to tell organisers that they could not hold up the traffic by walking on the road, but would have to stay on the pavement.

Flora could not get round road signs at the top of the High Street.

John Church of Ashford in Kent was inside the giant at the time.

He said: "A police officer told me that if stepped off the pavement I would be arrested."

He fell out of the parade.

The parade was organised on behalf of the festival by Geoff Pope.

He had approached Tewkesbury police in January who had written to say they were happy to support it.

Just three weeks before the event he had a letter from police headquarters in Cheltenham saying that they could not do so.

The festival organisers decided that so many people wanted to take part it was too late to cancel it Mr Pope said: "We had done a risk assessment, and had insurance and plenty of marshals, so we thought that taking everyone up to fair site in an organised and controlled way was the safest way of handling things."

Hundreds of people turned out to watch the parade, and many of them stepped into the road to watch it go back.

Former Town Mayor, Coun Ken Powell, who took part in the parade said: "It is absolutely outrageous, this is our town and if we want a parade in our streets we should be able to have one."

Chief Inspector Paul Riddick said that they had been approached few weeks prior to the event and had been given the organisers detailed advice on how to progress their plans.