The days of being terrified by wild-eyed warriors during carnival week are over.

The Sheppey Zulus have announced they are hanging up their spears and disbanding after 86 years.

Secretary Ian Cruickshanks admitted: “It is a very sad day for all of us but nothing can go on forever. The writing had been on the wall.”

The all-male group had dwindled from more than 30 in the heyday of the 1970s to barely a dozen.

The father-of-five blamed the demise on stifling health and safety regulations and the difficulty of recruiting new members.

And he admitted that political correctness had also taken its toll.

The Zulus, who wore fuzzy wigs and blacked-up to collect for charity during carnivals and special events, were the subject of a ferocious social media backlash five years ago.

Mr Cruickshanks, 56, recalled: “I told the men not to respond to the criticisms but at the start of the summer carnival, some refused to take part. But that is not the main reason I am giving up.”

He said spinal problems had forced him to call it a day. Chairman Mark Lea, 36, has also had to take a backseat following family bereavements.

Mr Cruickshanks said: “I have to stop. I have no choice. And we couldn’t find anyone else who wanted to take over. People don’t realise the amount of work involved applying for licences and filling in forms.”

"It is a very sad day for all of us but nothing can go on forever. The writing had been on the wall..." - Secretary Ian Cruickshanks

He added: “Perhaps someone will come forward later to run the Zulus. But it has to be someone who is going to do it for all the right reasons.

"The Zulus were committed to raising money to help people. We might have looked fearsome but we all had hearts of gold.

“We never had any comments about being racist until that one occasion and then it just exploded on social media. It ruined the carnival for us that year.

“But the real problems have been in recruiting new members and coming to terms with health and safety.

"We aren’t allowed to walk in the road collecting money any more and one year we were made to wear high-visibility jackets. Well, that’s not what Zulus do!”

He added: “We’d like to thank all past and present Zulus and everyone who has donated to our raffles and fun days.

“The staff at the Co-op Sports Club and businesses have been particularly helpful over the years. We could not have done it without them.”

The Sheppey Zulus’ last stand was at their fun day at the Co-op ground in Sheerness on August 22.

Members are now preparing to hand over cash raised from that event.

It will include: £1,000 to the Kent Air Ambulance; £500 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institute; £250 for the Oliver Fisher Appeal; £200 to the Fire Fighters’ Charity; and £200 to the Evelina Children’s Heart Organisation (Echo).

The Zulus also recently donated three special tricycles to pupils at Orchards Special School in Milton Regis.

Mr Cruickshanks said: “That was what being a Zulu was all about. The expressions on the faces of the children made everything worthwhile.”

Sheppey Summer Carnival chairman Bob McCall said: “The Zulus will be sorely missed. This year they raised £800 for the carnival.

“They were always a laugh but they said it wasn’t fun any more. Some white people said it was racist but black people would give them high-fives.”

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Sheppey Zulus can trace their birth back to the summer of 1929 when sailors from HMS Endeavour at the Royal Naval Dockyard dressed up for the carnival.

The tradition was carried on by stevedores when the docks were privatised in the 1960s.
During the 1970s and 80s the Zulus ‘landed’ on Sheerness beach in carnival week, with soot and flour battles, and wou ld ‘kidnap’ maidens for their cooking pot.

The men would apply their black paint, called Grimace, with beer, and rinse it off in communal baths.

Mr Cruickshanks said: “Zulus had to stand in line to scrub the back of the man in front. That was the main reason we didn’t allow women. Few of our wives would be happy with women sharing showers with us.”

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