A DECISION to change the date of a town's carnival may be reversed after residents complained.

The Barnard Castle Meet was due to move away from the Whit bank holiday weekend so that organisers did not have to pay double-time to traffic management companies carrying out road closure orders.

It was also hoped the move would make it easier for the Meet to attract entertainment that was in demand over the bank holiday weekend.

An open forum meeting this week heard that 700 people had signed a petition asking the committee not to change the date.

Petition organiser Angela Grady said: "I don't want to criticise the committee as they've done a fantastic job.

"But the bank holiday weekend is traditional, its part of our heritage. If you take it away from the bank holiday, you'll kill it."

But Meet president Andy Willsmore said that if the carnival remained on the Whit holiday weekend it had to be supported by local businesses.

He said: "We can leave the Meet where it is and watch it die, or we can move it to another date."

Suzanne Thomas, business liaison officer for the Meet committee, said she had written to 360 local businesses for help but only three per cent had replied.

Resident Maureen Hume said she and a number of other people were prepared to join the committee if the date remained the same.

They would help market the carnival and raise more money to keep it on the bank holiday, she said.

Mr Willsmore said the change of date should be discussed at the annual meeting, which is due to take place in the next few months.