Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, is calling for the Staffordshire Police to reverse their decision to reduce the number of officers present at the Great Wyrley Annual Bonfire, this year.
The Watley Division announced that it will allow only eight officers to attend the event, which will take place on the Star Land in Great Wyrley on November 5th.
The police annual bonfire is free to attend and last year attracted almost 4000 visitors from the village and the surrounding area.
The event provides the secondary purpose of aiding the Carnival Committee to raise funds for the Great Wyrley Carnival, another longstanding, popular, public event.
In the past, the Staffordshire Police have managed traffic control, marshalling and security for the occasion.
Should this change, organisers will be forced to employ outside security at a likely cost of around £20 an hour. This would significantly diminish any profits and could put the future of both events at serious jeopardy.
Gavin said: “The Great Wyrley bonfire is a wonderful annual occasion, which is greatly enjoyed by residents of Great Wyrley and the surrounding area. It would be a massive shame if this event could no longer continue due to an insufficient security presence.
“I would therefore urge the Staffordshire Police to reverse their decision and continue manning the bonfire. We are extremely lucky to live somewhere that events of this sort still take place and I believe we all need to pull together to ensure their survival for generations to come.”