Summit talks on future for beer walk

BEER-WALK organisers are regrouping this week to discuss the future of the event after thousands of revellers took advantage of the Saddleworth celebration.

It is estimated that around double the official 2,600 walkers took part, with thousands of tag-on drinkers choosing to avoid paying the £20 charity fee and bring along their own booze.

Round Table organisers are now hosting meetings in a bid to come up with a solution.

Chair Dave MacDougall said: “Crowd management has been the biggest issue arising this year, and before it gets unmanageable we need to work with the police and make it our mission to solve the problem.

“We need to look at pubs closing at the right times as well as keeping the walk moving while at the same time making sure everyone gets a drink.

“The amount of walkers has shot up this year and with the arrival of Tesco people could buy their own alcohol and it’s difficult to stop people walking down a public high street.”

It comes as police put out an appeal for information after three people dressed in camouflage gear were injured during a fight at Lark Hill in Dobcross during the walk on Saturday June 18.

One walker, a 30-year-old man, lost several front teeth while another was knocked unconscious and a reveller suffered a cut nose and eye and needed stitches.

Police Constable John Hilldrup, said: “The beer walk is well attended and I have no doubt there would have been a lot of people in the area who may have seen what happened.”

He added that anybody who witnessed the incident should come forward with information to get to the bottom of what happened.

In response, Dave MacDougall said they were investigating reports into trouble after the walk had finished at one of the venues and that it would be a shame for someone to tarnish the good reputation of the famous event.

He added: “It would be easier if we had 5,000 people paying £20 as it would help with the infrastructure of the event – we have to think bigger every year.

“The beer walk is famed for being a good-natured event. It needs to be a good day for all involved.”

Hailed an overall success by organisers, the task now is safeguarding the event’s future, protecting walkers and exploring every avenue possible to make crowd management easier.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call PC Hilldrup on 0161 856 9057 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.