AN historic village carnival that was almost cancelled is now due to go ahead after a meeting between organisers and police.

The annual procession through the County Durham village of Staindrop came under scrutiny by police, who decided the route through the village was unsafe, and could cause massive traffic disruptions.

Officers organised meetings with members of the organising committee to decide whether the event could go ahead, and road safety was one of the police's biggest concerns.

The village's A688 road, that runs straight through the centre of the village, is a busy route for traffic and police were worried that if they left the road open someone could be hit by a car.

But a last-minute meeting between the police and members of the village's carnival committee, held yesterday, has saved the event.

It is now due to run on Saturday.

Inspector Dave Allaway, of Barnard Castle Police, said that despite reservations about the route of the carnival procession, from Hartley Close to the village green, he had decided that the carnival could go ahead, although traffic diversions would be in place.

He said: "People have to understand that there is a carnival held every weekend for every village, and they have to be policed, and safety is my biggest concern.

"I quite appreciate that tradition is important, but my job is to ensure that these events are safe, and don't think for one minute that I go home and sleep at night not worrying about them.

"Many carnivals in Teesdale have been run for far too long purely on tradition, but there comes a time when you have to wipe the slate clean and review the situation, and I think I have been more than reasonable."

The Staindrop carnival is the biggest event in the village's history.

It is an annual tradition dating back a century.

David Cronin, who runs the Spar shop in the village, has been involved in organising the carnival.

He said: "The route the police wanted to take through the town would have meant a lot of the elderly residents would not have seen the procession.

"What's the point in that? We may as well have cancelled the whole thing.

"Thankfully the police have seen sense and we can go ahead with the traditional procession."