Luton Carnival was cancelled for the first time after torrential rain and flooding made it impossible for the event to go ahead on Bank Holiday Monday.

Organisers and the police made the decision early on after lashing winds and downpours had made much of the carnival areas impassable.

A Luton Borough Council spokesperson said: "About 8.30am the decision was made to call it off, basically for health and safety reasons. Not only did we have to think of the people taking part but those visiting, too.

"Wardown Park and New Bedford Road were badly hit by flooding and strong winds were causing problems to stalls and staging, so there was really no choice.

"Fortunately, we were able to notify the people taking part early on, so nobody had to turn out and be disappointed. We believe it is the first time the whole event has been cancelled."

The spokesperson said it was too early to say whether an alternative date would be arranged for the carnival until the situation had been assessed.

Luton Today photographer Joanna Cross, who has been involved in covering the event for the past 15 years and was standing by to record Monday's events, said: "They were totally justified in calling it off because there was just no way they could have held it.

"Wardown Park was totally flooded and the lakes had burst their banks, and one part of New Bedford Road where the carnival procession would have passed was waterlogged. Everywhere was totally soaked."

Hundreds of carnival performers and thousands of would-be visitors from far and wide were left disappointed, as this year's carnival had promised to be as colourful a spectacle as ever.

The popular Luton event started around the early '80s and is now the UK's largest one-day carnival.

See Wednesday's Luton News for full story and pictures.

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