Newport remembrance parade cancelled due to insurance costs

The Caerleon remembrance event brings scouts, brownies, air cadets and the Royal British Legion together in an annual parade through the village.

After decades of tradition the parade was cancelled by organisers after they were unable to pay public liability insurance for the event.

Organisers claim Newport council advised them to seek public liability insurance a month before the event but an external quote proved too expensive.

Jon Bartlett, 40, steel worker, has been involved with the parade since 1991 which has 'deep ties' to the town.

He said: “Cllr Cliff Suller, of Caerleon, spoke to solicitors and told us that insurance for the event would cost between £500 and £700.

“I feel upset that we have to pay to pay respects to our dead and it sullies the whole idea of the festival of remembrance.”

Henry West, 95, of the Royal British Legion, has been involved with the parade for 47 years and served in the RAF during the Second World War.

He said: “The question of this insurance has never raised its ugly head before but I think health and safety culture has a great deal to do with it.

“It's very sad because all of Caerleon turns out for the parade and in the last few years it has been led by the drums of our air cadets."

All organisations involved in the parade registered for insurance but public liability insurance applies to safety of all public and participants involved on the day.

Cllr Paul Huntley expressed 'disappointment' at the loss and acknowledged 'there has been a lot of negativity' after the announcement.

He added: “The insurance issues came to us rather late and we haven’t been able to arrange cover at a reasonable cost.”

Caerleon resident Gillian Tanner is also upset that her son Daniel, of the Caerleon Air Cadets, will not be able to perform this Sunday.

“My children have been practising the marching and drums and also invested money in expensive glockenspiels.

“If organisers had realised that this was the case and that they needed the funding it would have been fine but it was put on them at the last minute.”

A Newport City Council spokesman said: “It’s the responsibility of any event organiser to make sure they have correct arrangements in place for safe and legal running of an event.

“Newport City Council does not provide insurance policies but the council understands that there is time for the organisers of the Caerleon Remembrance Parade to arrange public liability cover if they still wish to do so."

A service will still take place in Caerleon on Sunday, November 8, marching from The Common at 10.30am to lay wreathes at the war memorial at St Cadoc's Church.