Festival is cut back (From Daily Echo)

Hamble festival is cut back

2:40pm Tuesday 1st May 2012 in Eastleigh By Bethan Phillips, Reporter

Hamble Week fun

ONE of Hampshire’s most popular festivals has been scaled back after a series of violent flare-ups at last year’s event.

Hamble Week was dogged by antisocial behaviour last summer with damage to public toilets, a group of people turning up for a pre-organised fight and eight arrests.

The Electric Carnival, which saw illuminated puppets paraded through the village, was delayed by 40 minutes as police cordoned off part of the foreshore to investigate an assault.

A 17-year-old boy has since been convicted of causing grievous bodily harm for the attack, which left restaurant worker Janhangir Hussain, 39, in a three-week coma.

Organisers of the festival have now decided to reduce the week-long celebration to two days and rename it Hamble Community Events.

Committee chairman Lisa Smith said the changes are happening for a variety of reasons.

She added: “We did have problems last year, but a lot of the change is just down to the lack of committee members.

“Also, the police have asked us to be careful on the alcohol side of it – so we’ve planned to do a completely family-friendly weekend.

“There won’t be the bars and won’t be bands and it will finish at 6pm both days.

“It was such a shame what happened last year. It was nothing to do with Hamble Week, but because it was on that weekend we have been stigmatised with the trouble.”

This year’s event will take place in September and a date will be announced shortly.

Many of the most popular activities, including Come and Get Wet, the children’s crabbing competition, the carnival, try-a-boat and the market, will still be taking place.

There will also be a dog show and classic car show.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help with the event should email lisa@hamblecommunity.

org.