Mass carol singers face ban

A HUGE open-air carol service attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury that has been running for more than 70 years faces the axe over health and safety fears.

- Ruth Cassidy

Proceeds from the service help buy hundreds of Christmas hampers and gifts for deprived families and the elderly.

But now organisers of the Christmas Eve community carol singing in Canterbury, Kent, are considering pulling the plug after concerns were raised by charity volunteers.

The popular event, which attracts huge crowds, is an open-air concert in the city centre and was first held in 1952.

But it is feared there are too few volunteers to manage the thousands likely to come.