THE first ever Christmas market is being held at Droitwich Rugby Club, and those behind it are stressing the event will be Covid safe.

Craig Brown, organiser of the free event, said they had always wanted to hold a festive market at the club to bring the community together, but it looked to have gone the way of many other planned similar events and would have to be cancelled when the second lockdown was announced.

READ MORE: 'Action is being taken on Warndon Villages boy racers'

READ MORE: MP: Tiers ‘strike the right balance’

Mr Brown said: "Planning for this had been going on for quite some time, and then we went into the second lockdown, and that scuppered everything, and we were going to cancel.

"But when the rules came out, with Christmas markets allowed in tier 2 areas we thought we would hold it for the Worcestershire businesses and Droitwich community.

"We have gone through full risk assessments, and Worcestershire Regulatory Services have approved everything.

“We are asking people to book their entry time in advance so we can let a certain amount of people through every hour to ensure there is ample space for social distancing.

"It is not to the scale we would have hoped, but it will be safe, and we hope it will become an annual thing.

"We have been delivering food parcels throughout the pandemic so are recognised as a bit of a community hub now, and it is great to reward local businesses who have survived."

A Wychavon District Council spokesman said: “Droitwich Rugby Club are responsible for ensuring Covid-19 safety measures are in place.

"There is no requirement for them to consult their local authority - however, they have been in contact with Worcestershire Regulatory Services to make them aware of the situation and have provided risk assessments.”

The market at the club, based at the Glyn Mitchell Memorial Ground in Hanbury Road, is taking place between December 18 and December 20 and is set to feature stalls from more than 25 county businesses who will be selling a wide selection of Christmas gifts, festive foods and drinks.

Organisers stress there is no time limit on how long people can attend, but need to stick to the time they are given to arrive.

To book a slot visit eventbrite.co.uk/e/droitwich-community-christmas-market-tickets-131467012373.

For more details visit Facebook Droitwich Community Christmas Market.