COUNCIL killjoys have barred bunting from a town carnival – because the lampposts are “not strong enough to support it”.

For years the colourful plastic flags have been strung up across Victoria Road for Ferndown Carnival week.

But this year the carnival committee was stunned to be told it couldn’t put them up – because the lampposts might fall down.

Committee member Gail Hunter-Warburton said: “It’s ridiculous. I was brought up in Ferndown and there’s always been bunting the for carnival – I’m speechless. It’s a bit of string and a bit of plastic – I really can’t see the issue with it.

She added: “I think you have to be worried about who put them up if they’re not strong enough to hold a bit of bunting.”

A factsheet sent out to town and parish council by Rod Mainstone, county lighting engineer at Dorset County Council, states: “Street lighting columns are not generally designed to be strong enough to support any additional attachments.”

It adds that even “relatively light additions” can lead to “considerable extra load” in strong wind.

That, combined with potential “internal corrosion”, could “lead to it collapsing”.

A county council spokeman confirmed the council had concerns about the risk of attaching things to lampposts in a “worn structural condition”. He added that all town and parish councils had been advised not to attach bunting to street lighting near roads as “it can sag and become entangled in passing traffic, such as buses”.

• The Ferndown Carnival is on Saturday in the centre of Ferndown and on the King George’s Field, off Church Road. There will be a fun fair, parade from 12 noon, and an afternoon of entertainment concluded with a performance by by Ferndown Concert Brass from 7pm in the bandstand.