ACCRINGTON Carnival will go ahead next year after residents joined forces to save it.

People interested in hosting the event in 2017 met this week to discuss whether there was enough enthusiasm in the town to ensure that the traditional carnival continued.

The meeting happened as the Accrington Lions community group, who has run the carnival since 1989, made it clear last year that it would not organise another one due to financial difficulties in staging it.

This meant that the carnival, which has taken place since 1959, was not held this year.

However Gayle Knight, currently acting chair of the newly formed carnival group, said that more than 20 people attended the meeting and others also expressed their interest who couldn’t attend.

She said: “Accrington Carnival is saved for another year.

“It was agreed unanimously that it was a vital event for Accrington and it would be a shame for it to end.

“I think it’s a great community event that people enjoy and it lifts their spirits.

“It’s a positive thing for the town. It brings the community together, not just from Accrington but all over Hyndburn.

“At this stage the only two definite decisions are that the carnival will be held on Sunday, June 11, and that the field event will be at Oakhill Park.

“We haven’t got to the nitty gritty of who will do what yet but everyone seemed keen to help out in some way.”

A further public meeting is planned for 6pm on Tuesday, November 29, at a location to be confirmed to work out a route and a starting point.

The group will also look to form a more structured carnival committee at the next meeting.

Hyndburn Mayor Cllr Tim O’Kane said: “It’s definitely good news. The carnival is a focal point of the area.

“It would have been a shame to lose it completely and it is great that local groups are willing to put the effort in to keep this event alive.”

The event has typically attracted close to 10,000 people.