Circus not coming to town for an unusual reason

5:37am Thursday 28th August 2008

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THE circus will not be coming to town - because its lorries are too heavy to get to the Winchester site where it was due to be staged.

Instead the Continental Circus Berlin that was due to come the city is heading to Petersfield early next month.

The German-style circus had been booked to perform from September 5-7 at North Walls Park, a traditional stopping point for big tops.

However Winchester City Council warned circus bosses that the lorries could jeopardise one of the bridges over a tributary of the River Itchen that runs through the park.

It means people who have bought tickets for the show will now have to travel 20 miles to Petersfield.

It is the circus's first visit to Britain and features 38 performers mainly from Europe including trapeze artists The Flying Bondarenko.

A circus spokesman said the council alerted them to its fears and the decision to move the show was made last week.

He said: "It is a very old and very tight bridge. The council does not feel it is safe to let our large vehicles over it. I believe the fun fair has been cancelled as well.

"We found out it would not be possible to stage the show last week so we have a second option. It is just one of those things. If the bridge is not safe then you can't let heavy vehicles go over it."

A city council spokeswoman said the bridge has a weight restriction of 13 tonnes.

She said the circus had been advised of the limit and advised that some heavier vehicles can be accommodated depending on axle configuration and load distribution.

But she said the circus had not taken up the offer to investigate the matter with engineering consultants and opted instead to go to Petersfield.