Lesbilicious - the web’s tastiest lesbian magazine

The famous annual street party for Brighton Pride has been cancelled after £10,000 suspiciously vanished from its budget. Sussex Police have confirmed that a 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of theft and fraud. He remains on police bail until 25 June, pending further enquiries. No other details have been released.

PinkPaper.com has exclusively revealed that organisers close to last year’s committee say there will be no official street party as a result of the theft - even though the deadline for the license application does not expire until later this week.

The party takes place on St James Street, in the heart of the city’s gay village, usually lasting through Saturday night into Sunday afternoon. It is regarded by Pride-goers as a key part of the weekend, alongside the parade and Preston Park party that follows. The street party is not organised by Brighton Pride itself, however, but rather it is set up by representatives of local bars.

Local residents and the Police are now expressing concerns over where the tens of thousands of Pride-goers will go if St James Street is not enclosed specifically for the event. Without a street party license, drinking on the street will be illegal and bars will not be allowed to play music outside.

One source close to the previous organisers, who asked to remain anonymous, told PinkPaper.com that they feared the event would end up being regulated solely by the Police: “I’m apprehensive as nothing has come together for this year. The police will need to deal with the situation on the day and it will be a big challenge for the city as to what to do. This is all the result of the troubles of last year but it’s going to leave us with some real safety issues.”

The news is another blow for Brighton Pride, who seemed to have recovered from a difficult year rife with financial and organisational troubles.

Posted in: Community, Events |