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A donkey (unconnected to the Lancashire parade) is seen wearing Christmas decorations (Picture: Getty) A Lancashire town’s nativity parade has been saved after locals clamoured against an apparent attempt to ban its use of donkeys. Atherton, between Wigan and Bolton, hosts an annual Christmas procession featuring nativity characters and donkeys. The animals are typically dressed up with Christmas-themed adornments and are used to give rides to kids who are part of the procession. On Friday the councillor for the area said the event would have to be axed, blaming Wigan Council. Cllr Stuart Gerrard said ‘decision made’ by the authority meant animals could not be used. Since the last-minute decision left insufficient time to rework the parade, it would have to be axed, he added. The move sparked an outcry, with residents accusing the council of threatening the town’s ‘traditions and freedoms’. ‘This is totally unacceptable’, Adrian White, administrator of a community Facebook group, fumed on the weekend. ‘The nativity is such a wonderful Christian celebration and this is another attack on our freedoms. ‘Instead of trying to defend their actions and accepting them we should stand together as a community and yell NO!’ Labour councillor for neighbouring Tyldesley, Jess Eastoe, argued: ‘Hear me out but could it just go ahead without donkeys? ‘Isn’t the star of the show baby Jesus anyway?’ The parade’s organisers, Atherton Residents’ Association, have since said the event will go ahead ‘donkeys and all’, claiming the threat was down to a misunderstanding at the council. ‘It seems there was some confusion among some officers regarding the council’s policy on the use of animals in community-run events versus council-run events and this wasn’t relayed properly to the organisers,’ a spokesperson wrote. ‘The officer in charge has apologised sincerely, and I am very pleased that everything has now been cleared up so the event can go ahead as planned.’ Wigan Council told Wigan Today the authority banned the use of live animals ‘for entertainment purposes’ in council-run events. But since the parade is a ‘community event’, the same rules do not apply to it, though it was urged to prioritise animal welfare. The apparent mix-up was derided by locals, several of whom took to social media to suggest the council was ‘led by donkeys’. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page.
