Festival organisers drop Disney advert.

Organisers behind an 18-day Christmas festival in a village near Wolverhampton have been forced to remove a section of their promotional website, following an investigation by trading standards officers.

Marquees have gone up in a field off Bognop Road, Essington, in preparation for its transformation into a mini-Lapland at the weekend. But a promotional claim that the event will feature “Disney On Ice” shows has now been dropped because it is not the official skating production.

It has been replaced with a logo promising visitors the chance to see their “favourite cartoon characters on ice” next to an image of Mickey Mouse.

The festival will feature a real ice rink, huskies, reindeer, fun fair rides and snow.

Police officers, trading standards staff, licensing chiefs and council officers are to attend the event, running from Saturday to December 24 to ensure that it runs smoothly.

Organisers behind the festivities, which will be held on a field usually used for car boot sales, say they have ploughed about £150,000 into the celebrations.

But council chiefs and businesses said they were told about the festival only last week and have voiced fears that the small village will become clogged up with thousands of queuing cars during the event. Council officers held meetings yesterday and have agreed that it can still go ahead.

It had been feared that if they called time on the celebrations and the organisers successfully appealed against the decision, South Staffordshire Council would be liable to pay out compensation. Councillor David Clifft, chairman of Essington Parish Council, said: “The Lapland event will still be going ahead but it will be very carefully monitored to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Jamie Angus, spokesman for South Staffordshire Council said: “South Staffordshire Council and other relevant authorities, including Staffordshire Police, met with the event organisers yesterday and are now awaiting further information from them, to ensure that they have systems in place to comply with the law and ensure that the impact of the event on local residents is as minimal as possible.”

Tags: Disney on ice, South Staffordshire Council, Trading Standards, Wolverhampton

Category: Event Industry News