Council 'jobsworths' order award-winning floral display group to complete £165 ... trends now

In the 19 years since it was founded, the green-fingered members of Chatteris in Bloom have won a glittering array of awards for their colourful entries.

But the floral displays are under threat after they were told a new safety course had to be completed to hang baskets on lampposts.

Anyone involved in the operation must take part in the £165 programme – otherwise contractors would have to be hired at huge expense to do the job.

The street lights pose a risk of volunteers electrocuting themselves, according to Cambridgeshire County Council – even though it has no record of anyone suffering an electric shock from draping posies from a lamppost.

CiB president Sue Unwin accused council health and safety 'jobsworths' of stifling community spirit with the heavy-handed edict.

Complaining that members already spend time and money on dressing up the town every year, the 64-year-old said: 'It has become impossible with the bureaucracy and the red tape.

'There's some jobsworth in the county council who has made this decision. We have been doing this for over 18 years. None of us have that capability or the money. We give enough of our time.

'We do everything properly and this bureaucracy is going to kill community spirit because we are getting fed up with this. We work hard to make our town look nice. Why can't they leave us along to get on with it?'

Chatteris in Bloom was founded in 2005 and between 2017 and 2022 achieved Anglia in Bloom's highest gold award four times, as well as being joint overall winner with Huntingdon last year.

The uplifting displays are put in place at the end of May each year and are judged in July.

Just 20 lampposts are used

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