Manchester licensees disappointed as Mardi Gras is cancelled

Licensees in Manchester have been left in the lurch after Britain's biggest gay and lesbian festival was cancelled.

Mardi Gras was due to take place in the city's gay village this August Bank Holiday weekend - bringing 100,000 extra visitors to the area.

But the organisers have pulled out because senior officers wanted to limit street drinking to Canal Street, preventing people drinking alcohol in much of the city centre.

Alan Whyte, manager of famous gay pub the Rembrandt Hotel, on Canal Street, said licensees were disappointed by the news especially because the last few years had been fantastic for the trade.

"It's the best weekend of the year," he said. "We are definitely disappointed at the news."

But he was hopeful that those who had planned to visit the city would come anyway. "Most people won't want to break their plans, but it will probably depend on the weather."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said it was unhappy that the carnival had been cancelled but that it was important to enforce laws restricting alcohol consumption on the city's streets.

"A byelaw exists in Manchester City Centre to prohibit the consumption and carrying of alcohol on the streets and has proved very successful in reducing alcohol related violence," he said.

"It's disappointing that a law which has done so much to improve public safety and has contributed to creating an environment in which everyone can enjoy themselves - as evidenced by the Commonwealth Games - should be cited as a reason to cancel this event."

Some licensees now fear that there could be a huge protest rally, bringing the city centre to a standstill. But Alan Whyte believes the fears are unfounded.

"The people who come to the Mardi Gras aren't the kind who cause trouble. If there is a protest I would imagine that it would probably be peaceful."