IT'S been a regular feature in the Selby calendar for decades.

But now bureaucracy and health and safety fears mean that this year's St George's Day parade through Selby will be scrapped.

Hundreds of Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Beavers and Brownies take part in the event each year.

But Selby Scouts' District Commissioner Kath Wilders revealed today that she has been left with no option but to cancel this year's parade - due to be held a week tomorrow - after being unable to get agreement for road closures in time.

She said that for many years, the police had simply stopped the traffic to allow the parade to pass.

But last year it emerged that roads would in future also have to be shut to traffic and marshals provided.

"We went to an outside company, and asked them for a quote to do this, and they quoted about £600, which our executive agreed to pay. I then went back to North Yorkshire Highways and the police to agree details of the route. We could not go ahead until they said yes.

"The police said they were fine with the route as long as highways were. After delays, I got an email from highways at the beginning of last week saying that the route was okay, but you do realise you need to go to the district council for road closures.

"The district council was very helpful, but said I should have given them three months' notice. They tried to deal with it quickly, but the earliest they could tell me was next Friday, two days beforehand, which was too late."

"We had carried out the necessary procedures, such as the risk assessment," she said.

"I blame the health and safety culture, bureaucracy and a lack of information. People assume you know everything, but we are all volunteers." She said she had contacted Scout and Guide groups from across Selby and nearby villages to let them know that the parade would no longer be taking place. However, the service at the Abbey would still go ahead at 3pm, with youngsters asked to gather outside the building at about 2.30pm. It is hoped that the parade will return next year.

Dennis Hunter, District Commissioner for York Minster district, said the massive parade of 2,000 Scouts and Guides through the city to the Minster would be going ahead, on a slightly different route via Parliament Street, following lengthy discussions with City of York Council, which had been "very helpful" and was organising road closures.