Dartford Lions Club's annual Bonfire Night and Fireworks display has been cancelled for the first time since it began more than 40 years ago.

The skies over Dartford have been lit every November by the display at Central Park since the late 1960s but organisers have been forced to cancel this year's event due to the Covid19 pandemic.

Club officers would normally be finalising details with the council but recent discussions led to the decision to cancel the event, which has grown year-on-year since it began.

The annual Bonfire Night and Fireworks Display is the biggest fundraiser for Dartford Lions Club and the money - averaging in excess of £25,000 each year - goes to community groups and families in the Dartford borough.

Club president Ragbhir Sandhu said “It's a real shame that we have had to make this decision, but given the circumstances we believe its the right one.

"The officers at the council worked with us at looking into various different options to allow the event to continue, sadly every option available resulted in the possible spread of the Covid19 pandemic.

"Although we are all extremely disappointed with the decision, everyone’s health and safety come first.

"We will do everything within our power to ensure the fireworks display in 2021 is bigger and better.”

"A much bigger concern for us is trying to ensure that the support we offer the local community can continue, sadly this can only be done so by asking the community to donate as much or as little as they can to our club.

"We will do everything within our power to ensure the fireworks display in 2021 is bigger and better.”

The Lions club has already started to look into alternative ways of raising money by launching its new website, www.dartfordlionsclub.org, which will soon have a donate facility.

In addition to this, the club also has some collection/donation bottles at various outlets within Dartford.

Other events involving the club have either been cancelled or are likely to be cancelled - including the Club's Carousel which is often seen at fetes and at the Dartford Festival each year, and ‘Santa and his Sleigh’, which raises money door-to-door.

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