Popular winter events have been axed over confusion of Covid vaccine passports in an Ayrshire town.
Residents in Troon have been dealt major blows as organisers of both the town’s firework display and Wintertainment both pulled the plug on their landmark events.
The town’s annual firework display on Barassie beach has been cancelled and the Wintertainment parade which sees Santa taken through the town has also been called off.
The cancellations come as the Scottish Government announced last week that the events were exempt from requiring a Covid vaccine certificate or 'vaccine passport.'
But organisers of the parade Troon Community Council say they are “deeply concerned” for the safety of the public who would gather in their hundreds to watch celebrations which mark the build up to Christmas.
Another November event which has fizzled out is the firework display with volunteers worried over crowd management.
The gathering set for Guy Fawkes weekend was cancelled by organisers Troon Round Table last week who said they would be unable to monitor numbers at the un-ticketed event.
Organisers also hit out at a logistical nightmare with ‘vaccine passports’ being required if the event was ticketed.
A spokesperson for Troon Round Table told Ayrshire Live: “From our perspective we have to be confident that we are putting on a safe event.
“We are 11 volunteers who put the event on, we all have full time jobs and full time families.
“The Troon Fireworks is a large event which could attract thousands.
“People have been asking why TRNSMT can go ahead with crowds of 50,000, but these are ticketed events in an enclosed space, we can’t enclose Barassie beach.
“How can we say with any confidence how many people we can expect to attend the event?
“It is un-ticketed — we can’t restrict access to the current location we have the fireworks at.
“We would then have an issue of vaccine passports and checking each individual.
“All the additional checks would make the planning unmanageable — it would just be irresponsible to go ahead with that in the current climate.”
Just days after the Troon fireworks cancellation Ayrshire Live were able to confirm dramatic changes to the town’s Wintertainment plans.
Community leaders insist that Wintertainment will still be an event this year with a performance at a ticketed event from the Troon Boys’ Brigade pipe band in place of the parade.
Organiser George Mulvaney told Ayrshire Live: “Wintertainment will be going on.
“We have decided there will be no parade this year and we are letting traders know.
“The guidance is as clear as mud at the moment.
“Regulations change, plans have to be adapted — we are doing our best with what we’ve got.
“We’ve made a decision that it wouldn't be safe to run a parade.
“We were deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of people who will come along.
“We were worried about the number of people at various points along Templehill and the Cross.
“If we ran the parade we would be bringing everybody together from the youngest residents to the oldest.
“It is a great disappointment we can’t run the parade - the safety of the general public is more important."
Official guidance by the Scottish Government last week revealed “free events in public open spaces with no fixed entry points (for example a free firework display in a public park, or a common riding event, or a march or parade).”
Troon councillor Philip Saxton believes the events could have been “scaled back”.
The Labour politician added: “They could have still done things but scaled it down.
"Wintertainment is a good day for businesses in the town and the fireworks display is always a popular night amongst locals.
“I don't see why any of them cannot go ahead.”
A council spokesperson said: "The organisation of events is tied to the forthcoming announcement on Covid accreditation. This is likely to be published towards the end of September.
"At that point we will be able to give guidance on the running of safe events over the festive season."
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