About 60 people suffered injury at a Christmas lights switch-on event in Birmingham.
According to the BBC, over 20,000 people went to Millennium Point in Birmingham to watch boy band, and X-Factor runners-up, JLS switch on the Christmas lights on Saturday.
However, organisers had only anticipated a quarter of that attendance, with just 15,000 being expected to turn up and see the event.
The event had to be stopped after the crowd surged to get in to the already packed square. Barriers gave way leaving four people in need of hospital treatment.
Birmingham City Council has defended the decision to close the event, stating that it was in the interests of public safety for it to be cancelled. However, they have also come under intense criticism for the low police turn out and the decision to make the event ticketless, which no doubt prompted the huge attendance. The event had been scheduled to last for five hours.
The Council is now reviewing whether they could hold large, free events again in the future but member Mr Steve Hollingworth stated that the event had been properly organised in conjunction with the emergency services.
It appears the council had woefully misinterpreted the interest that such a gig, with a collection of artists with large public followings, would generate. Some of the artists have sold out huge arenas so it seems rather small minded that the council would anticipate such a low turnout at a ticketless event.
The Council would have been required to undertake risk assessments to protect public safety and envisaged a range of possible scenarios. However, they must be credited for the decision to cancel the event when people began to suffer injuries, preventing further crushes and the hospitalisation of more attendees.
