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A Remembrance Sunday parade held every year since the end of the First World War has been cancelled over health and safety issues. Veterans have reacted with dismay at the decision to call off the Upton Remembrance Sunday parade on the Wirral, with the event scaled back to a simple wreath-laying. Merseyside Police has previously provided traffic management for the gathering, which is run by the local British Legion and usually attracts a crowd of around 1,000. But the force said it was unable to provide this support due to national guidance stating it is the responsibility of organisers, not police, to manage traffic. Following this decision, Wirral council said it would require the British Legion to take out public liability insurance for the event - citing the car ramming at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade on May 26 as a reason to be cautious. In response, the local Legion branch, which has only four active members, said it had no choice but to call off the parade. Wendy Meade, the branch secretary, told supporters that the decision was 'out of our hands'. The branch shared a letter from the local council that read: 'If we sound a bit pedantic on this, just following incidents like the one at the Liverpool parade, we need to keep everyone safe. 'If the police were still in attendance, they have the powers to do a rolling road block and, of course, can arrest anyone who is causing trouble, but local authorities do not have any of these powers, so we have to mitigate against anything happening.' The Liverpool victory parade horror saw a car plough into revellers, injuring more than 130. Paul Doyle, 53, appeared in court today for a procedural hearing. He faces a total of 31 charges, including 18 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. David Burgess-Joyce, a Reform UK election candidate, said of the parade's cancellation: 'We cannot stand by and allow bureaucracy and disinterest to cancel this most important national day, be it at the Whitehall cenotaph in London or the smallest local British Legion. 'If it stops now, it will stop again in the future. We must remember those who made our country safe.' Falklands war hero Simon Weston, who was seriously burned in the sinking of the Sir Galahad, called the decision 'very odd'. Chief Insp Rob Budden, of Merseyside Police, said the force had helped with traffic management at previous parades. However, he said officers were now following guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council and the College of Policing that 'policing should not take responsibility for closing roads or managing traffic, other than in an emergency'. A spokesman for Wirral council said: 'After the council was made aware that the police would no longer be facilitating road closures or providing police escorts for Remembrance events as in previous years, the council has worked with organisers across the borough to enable them to still take place.' The spokesman said the council had offered to waive road closure fees for the Upton parade but it needed confirmation that organisers 'had in place risk assessment and public liability insurance'. The spokesman added: 'Wirral council remains committed to supporting community-led events and regrets that the Upton parade could not proceed this year. We are confident that, had the necessary information been provided, we would have been able to assist in facilitating a safe and respectful event.' The Royal British Legion said: 'The Royal British Legion is grateful for all the support received from local authorities and police forces to ensure Remembrance parades can take place, which mean so much to the Armed Forces community. 'Parades are happening across the Wirral, but due to administrative reasons, this was not possible this year in Upton, so locals are being encouraged to attend others nearby. Hopefully, this will be resolved so it can go ahead next year.' It comes after a town announced it was axing its Remembrance Day poppy display amid a Labour-run council's crackdown on flag flying. Locals in Hoyland, South Yorkshire, found they would no longer be able to commemorate 'fallen heroes' by placing a large wooden poppy on each lamppost. It came after updated guidance from Barnsley Council which bans attachments to posts with road signage. However, the poppy display will now go ahead after the council agreed to review the safety of the displays on a 'case-by-case basis'.
