ORGANISERS of Worcester Carnival are facing increasing pressure to explain why this year’s event was cancelled at the 11th hour.

People want answers from chairman Malvin Hobbs after the plug was pulled on this year’s festival just four days before it was set to go ahead.

Numerous calls, messages and emails to Mr Hobbs from Worcester News reporters giving him the opportunity to explain what “operational circumstances” caused the cancellation have gone unanswered.

Two statements were published on the Worcester Carnival Facebook page on Wednesday, but it is unclear who has been posting them as one refers to “changes in personnel”. They make no further reference about the reasons for cancelling the event, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Despite complaints about the 2015 carnival and the cancellation of this year’s event, one statement does promise that it will return in 2017.

It says: “We have been reading each and every comment and can see how very disappointed people are.

“We can assure you that there is no one more disappointed than us. “There have already been changes in personnel here and things are already looking up.

“Sadly too late for 2016, but 2017 will really be something to look forward to – especially when it comes to making it up to those who have lost out this year.

“We will release new information as soon as we have it, but things are in a very fluid state here at the moment.

“Please bear with us and once again, please accept our sincerest apologies. If there was any other option to save 2016, we would take it.”

Worcester City Council had waived fees for the use of two of its car parks, despite not being involved in the carnival’s organisation. It also offered street cleaning after the event, at a reduced price.

A spokesman said: “We are sorry to hear this year’s carnival has been cancelled.

“Worcester City Council was not involved in the organisation of this event but, along with several other agencies, we were an active supporter and hoped it would be a success.”

“We gave free use of Croft Road Car Park for the start and end of the carnival parade.

“We also offered Pitchcroft Car Park as an alternative venue for the after-parade stalls and fair, and put the organisers in contact with our market contractor LSD Promotions, who offered to help with the stalls.

“We were also prepared to do additional street cleaning after the event at a reduced price.”

Lesley Clark had been part of the committee and said she only found out it had been cancelled on “Monday or Tuesday” when she was due to attend a meeting.

As a former 1968 carnival queen, she was helping find the new king and queen, but said she “didn’t really know what had gone on”.

The carnival’s chosen charities, Headway Worcestershire and HelpGeorgie, only found out about the cancellation on Wednesday via Facebook along with everyone else.

Clare Gibbs, who set up HelpGeorgie to fundraise for the aftercare of her daughter Georgie, who underwent a selective dorsal rhizotomy in February, said they were disappointed: “We are very disappointed to hear via the carnival website that this has now been cancelled.

“I’m sure Mr Hobbs and his team will be contacting all represented charities and those involved as soon as possible to give a reasonable explanation on the reasons why this decision has been made so late in the day.”

The carnival’s sponsor, Rybrook, Worcester said it did not wish to comment.