Another big event in Gravesham's calendar has fallen victim to coronavirus restrictions.

The annual free firework display has been cancelled for this year due to the ongoing rules preventing large gatherings.

It had been due to take place at the Riverside area on Friday, November 6.

Hundreds traditionally gather to watch with many more enjoying the spectacle from miles around.

Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, Gravesham council’s cabinet member for community and leisure, said: “We have waited as long as we can before making this decision in the hope that government guidance around large gatherings might be relaxed.

“However, there comes a point where we have to be realistic and bite the bullet. As you can imagine, an event of this scale of our annual display takes a lot of planning and organisation, particularly for our suppliers who provide the fireworks and the technology to create such a great show.

“It is only fair on them, the organising team, and the thousands of local people who so enjoy the display to make a decision now.”

He said the council was confident it would be able to give the borough something to celebrate before the end of the year.

He said: “It may only be September, but we are already well advanced in our planning for this year’s Christmas celebrations.

“These will, of course, have to be very different to previous years, but we are confident that what we have in store will be a celebration that includes the whole of the borough and that builds on the tremendous sense of community and belonging that have been among the good things to come out of this terrible year.

“We will share full details later in the year, and I am looking forward to celebrating happier times ahead with our fantastic communities.”

It is hoped the fireworks will return next year.

It is not the first time the display has had to be postponed for reasons other than bad weather.

In 2018, it was postponed to keep a Beluga whale safe . Dubbed Benny, the Arctic mammal appeared thousands of miles from home in the River Thames off Shorne Marshes, Gravesend.

Fireworks had been due to be set off from a barge in the Thames.

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