Carnival route cut short due to costs

But organisers have revealed the colourful procession will not make it into the city centre due to the astronomical cost of staging it.

And unless the charity can raise more funds by the end of this month, the planned route around Deepdale may have to be cut even shorter.

“Crunch time is fast approaching,” said chair Tracey Harris. “We have managed to raise just over £12,000 so far and that will mean we can have an event on Moor Park.

“But we still need to find a further £13,000 or so to pay for the procession, with things like traffic management, barriers and security - all the things that keep people safe as we parade through the streets.

“It’s an expensive business. Unfortunately we’re only a small organisation and, sadly, we don’t have lots of sponsorship. If we wanted the procession to go through the city centre like it has in previous years then the bill would come to £30,000.

“That’s completely out of reach for us. After the struggle we had last year we decided we would only have a shorter procession around Deepdale this time. But we may have to cut it even shorter if we don’t managed to find this extra money.

“So if there is anyone out there who wants to help us by making a donation we would be very grateful. They can find details on our Facebook page or website. This is an iconic event in Preston which goes back more than 40 years and it means so much to so many people.”