LONG negotiations and hard work have saved Bridport Carnival.

The carnival was under threat this year after the Highways England, formerly the Highways Agency, said it was unwilling to let the torchlight procession cross the A35 to get to West Bay.

Without the torchlight procession the carnival would not be viable and was in danger of being cancelled.

Frantic – and long - talks ensued between the carnival committee and Highways England were backed by support from Dorset Police, Bridport Town Council, West Dorset District Council and MP Oliver Letwin.

At the 11th hour the committee has heard the procession can go ahead as usual.

Carnival committee member Joyce Dunford said the committee had a great deal of people to thank.

She said: “Participants and members of the public may have been thinking that the Bridport Carnival Committee has been dragging its feet with arrangements for this carnival, but we have been working really hard behind the scenes.

“The reason for this delay has been because Highways England were not happy about the torchlight procession crossing the A35 at the Crown roundabout.

“There was also talk that we would have to pay a large sum of money for the closure but thank goodness this has been resolved for this year.

“We should point out that without the torchlight it would be financially impossible to put on the carnival.

“The committee would like to thank Bridport Inspector Mike Darby, PC Scott McGregor, Bridport Town Council surveyor, Daryl Chambers, and Jessie Rice, West Dorset District Council, Dorset County Highways and MP Oliver Letwin.

“They have all given support and backing and worked really hard to get the procession to take place again this year.

“We now look forward to putting on yet another spectacular event.”

Mrs Dunford added that the committee was also grateful to Highways England for agreeing in the end to doing road closures free of charge.

This year’s Bridport Carnival is on August 15. The procession of floats starts at 7.30pm from West Road.

Other activities include a carnival fete and a fun fair at Asker Meadows as well as the traditional Sunday evening torchlight parade at 9pm from Bridport to West Bay to end the celebrations with the spectacle of 1,500 blazing torches being carried to the sea.

Torches can be bought in Bucky Doo Square from 6.30pm on Sunday August 16 and there will be fireworks at West Bay from 10.00pm.

Bridport Carnival was resurrected in 1971 after a previous carnival event in 1911 was abandoned in 1920. A carnival has been held every year since.

Other carnival activities include carnival darts, carnival golf, a grand car boot sale, carnival fete and a fun fair at Asker Meadows.