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A century-old carnival WILL take place this summer after a row over ice-cream vans threatened to consign it to history.

It has been announced that Porthcawl Carnival will now take place on Saturday, July 23, and the theme will be Life On The Beach.

Organiser Kerry Marlow, of the Porthcawl Buckaneers group, had pulled out of arrangements for the 2016 event in December, claiming the carnival was no longer financially viable.

But in a new statement, he said: “As a consequence of consultation with various directorates of Bridgend County Borough Council , the police, new members of Porthcawl Buckaneers and the community support, the carnival has been planned for Saturday, July 23, 2016.

Porthcawl community has been thanked for its support

“We have a new team of Buckaneers involved in the production, development and improvement to the financial viability of the event.

Read more:Porthcawl Carnival has become 'financially unviable' and could be scrapped

“Porthcawl Buckaneers would like to thank the community of Porthcawl for the support over recent months. We believe this has brought together a stronger team to ensure the Porthcawl Carnival will remain an annual event in the future.”

Last month, Mr Marlow, who has been involved in running the carnival for 25 years, hit out at an unnamed trader who sold goods outside the carnival field at last summer’s event – which he claims took trade away from retailers who had paid to be on the field at Porthcawl RFC.

(Image: David Swidenbank)

Mr Marlow said that the money paid to the carnival by these on-field retailers pays for the event’s running costs and claimed that if their profits were threatened, they would not return to the carnival – thus making it financially unviable.

The annual event is free to attend for the public and helps to raise £30,000 to £40,000 for local charities every year.

Ice-cream sellers were unfairly branded 'poachers'

Mr Marlow had called on Bridgend Council to ban traders not connected with the carnival from selling goods on the day.

Ice-cream seller Pamela Davies admitted it was one of her vans run by her daughter Hollie Dost which had parked on a public street near the field last year after being refused an official place at the carnival.

She hit back at those who had unfairly branded her family-run firm “poachers” and “scroungers” on social media following Mr Marlow’s comments and said the company holds the correct street-trading licences and did not break the law, a fact that was confirmed by Bridgend County Borough Council.

Mrs Davies said that, as a Porthcawl company, they feel they have a right to be there and she does not believe their presence poses any threat to the carnival’s financial stability.

(Image: David Swidenbank)

“I feel it’s unfair we have been tarred with a brush to say that we are the reason why the carnival can’t go ahead because of outside traders,” she said earlier this month.

“We are Porthcawl traders and have always traded in Porthcawl and that’s our carnival as well.”

Life on the Beach is the theme for 2016

Looking forward to this July’s event, Mr Marlow said: “The theme for the carnival, after tremendous community consultation, will be Life on the Beach.

“The theme incorporates lifeboats, fishing, beach events, mermaids and Neptune, mardi gras, Brazilian, historical and mythological.

“Entertainers have been arranged for the procession and we will be led by the Westside Allstars comedy marching band.

“The carnival field will have a travelling fair, a number of stalls. Entrance is free.”

A spokesman for Bridgend Council said: “We are pleased that this popular community event will be going ahead again this year and hope that it is a great success.”

• To enter a float, walkers or to have a stall leave a message on Porthcawl Buckaneers Facebook page or alternatively email Kerry Marlow on marlowk@sky.com