A MARKET town's traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake races have been cancelled for the first time in 35 years because of a hitch over a ten-minute road closure.

The Bedale races, next week, should have involved local adults and about 160 schoolchildren competing over a short stretch of the main A684 road, from the market cross to St Gregory's Church.

But the plans have fallen flat after a change in police procedure.

Organiser Peter Parlour said: "We have been told that the police are not allowed to stop traffic on a public road unless it is for an accident or a motoring offence.

"We wrote to the police, through the Bedale office, on January 31 informing them of our intention to hold the races.

"The officer in charge of road closures only received this letter on February 7. She arranged to meet us last Friday and informed us that the police could no longer stop traffic.

"The officer said she would do all she could to help by applying to Hambleton District Council to see if permission could be granted to close the road.

"She was told that the council required two full weeks' notice to authorise a road closure and permission could not be granted.

"It is sad that we were not informed earlier so that we could comply with these new facts for us to continue this tradition. We have never had this problem in the 35 years I have been organising the races. We have five races of about 300 yards and the total time involved is about ten minutes.

"Next year, we will make doubly sure that the races go ahead."

Mr Parlour said pancakes would be taken to schools which responded to the race invitations so that children could hold their own events.

A district council spokesman said: "It only came out last week that the pancake races needed a road closure order. Somehow, they seem to have got through the net."

A police spokesman could not comment on the handling of the organisers' letter, but confirmed that the new procedure had been introduced following a change in legislation.

He said: "As soon as we found out we tried to help by pointing out that they needed to approach the council for a road closure. We suggested a couple of alternative locations off the road but they did not seem too keen."