Police bid for booze ban at city festival

Preston People’s Festival will celebrate the city’s industrial past with street performances, poetry readings, a brass band and a choir.

But police were planning to oppose a temporary event notice for a craft beer stall at the event when it went before the council’s licensing sub-committee on Friday morning. In a letter to the sub-committee they say: “There have been insufficient measures offered by the applicant to give police confidence that incidents of crime and anti-social behviour will not occur during the event.”

One of the festival’s organisers, Janet Newsham, said: “The police haven’t told us they are objecting. The bar is just to sell a bit of real ale. It’s a family event - not one which would attract an unruly crowd.”