Cambridgeshire's Whittlesey Straw Bear festival cancelled due to Covid

The Straw Bear Festival is traditionally held every January in the Cambridgeshire town of Whittlesey. Picture: PA
The Straw Bear Festival, pictured here in 2018, celebrates Whittlesey's agricultural history Credit: PA

Organisers of a town festival which can trace its roots back hundreds of years have pulled the plug on the 2022 celebration because of fears over rising Covid rates.

The Straw Bear Festival is usually held every January in the town of Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire, and sees a figure dance around the town dressed in straw, in honour of the area's agricultural heritage.

The festival fell out of popularity towards the end of the 19th century but was revived in 1980 to be celebrated on the Tuesday following Plough Monday.

Traditionally the dancing "straw bear" would perform in front of houses in exchange for gifts of money, beer or food.

Last year's festival was held online, with videos produced and released on YouTube over the three days the festival was due to be held.

Molly dancers wait to perform at the 39th Straw Bear Festival in Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire in 2018. Credit: PA

However, organisers have said that this year's festival has been cancelled because of the risk of spreading coronavirus, amid record infection rates.

A statement on the festival website reads: "We are very sorry to announce that the Straw Bear Festival 2022 has been cancelled.

"The committee do not feel that it would be responsible to run an event, in the light of the infection rate rise, that would potentially spread the virus even more and put the town of Whittlesey at further risk."

It thanked people for their "continued support".