THE annual Mayor’s fireworks event has been scrapped due to falling attendance figures.

The event takes place in War Memorial Park to mark Bonfire Night and raises cash for the chosen charities of the borough mayor.

But Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council said the numbers of people attending the event had fallen recently, with 4,000 people attending last year.

That figure meant the event did not raise money for the charity appeal last year.

Councillor Anne Court, borough mayor, said: “The Mayor’s fireworks has, in the past, been a well-attended event held to help raise money for local charities.

“Unfortunately the increase in other community firework nights locally has seen the number of people attending drop to as low as 4,000.

“This, combined with the increased cost of staging the fireworks, means it no longer raises funds for local charities and requires extra council money to stage it.”

Cllr Court added that last year’s event, rebranded as Basingstoke’s Big Bang, included a move to a Saturday, a bonfire and holding the entrance price to £7 for adults and £3 for children.

She said: “The council is keen to support and provide events for the community to enjoy and to encourage visitors to the area, but with other firework events locally meeting this need, it would not be a sensible use of public money to stage the Mayor’s fireworks again this year.”

Instead, she encouraged people to get behind the Mayor’s Charity Week, from Saturday, October 17 to Saturday, October 24.

It involves asking people to stage their own events to raise money for this year’s chosen charities – Inspero, the Ark Cancer Charity Centre and Basingstoke Multicultural Forum.

What do you think of the move to stop the annual fireworks event? Use the comment facility below or email newsdesk@basingstokegazette.co.uk.