REVELLERS at this year’s Wroughton Carnival have been banned from bringing their own booze to the festivities.

Organisers of the annual event, which takes place on July 7, have agreed with the police and licensing authority that only alcohol bought from the refreshments tent in the field will be permitted.

Security guards at the Weir field entrances will be checking bags and will refuse entry to individuals who are already under the influence of alcohol.

Carnival chairman, Paul Russell, said: “From the advice of the police and licensing authority we have been told that things had to change where the alcohol policy was concerned.

“The minority ruined it for the majority. There weren’t major problems but enough for the police and licensing authorities to crack down on it and get us to change our policy.

“They didn’t change the conditions of the licence but if we didn’t listen to the police this time it would have affected the licence in the future.”

Organisers introduced limitations on the amount of alcohol people were allowed to bring in over the last few years.

At next weekend’s event, people who bring their own booze will be asked if they live locally to take their alcohol back home and then come back to the field.

Anyone seen with alcohol not purchased from the refreshments tent will be asked to remove it from the field.

A refreshments tent will provide soft drinks until 11pm and alcoholic drinks between 3pm and 10pm. Prices will be on par with normal bar prices.

Entertainment includes the Wroughton Silver Band at 2pm, followed by morris dancers at 3.15pm, air cadets at 3.40pm, Romanski dancers at 4.05pm, singer Ben McDanielson at 4.30pm and a raffle at 4.50pm.

Evening entertainment will include Days on Juno at 6.15pm, The Raker Project at 7.15pm, Echo at 8.15pm, Nuttyness at 9.40pm and a firework display at 10.50pm.

The scarecrow trail, which has a heroes and villains theme this year, will run until Monday and the winners will be announced on July 7.

Paul said they hoped the decision would not affect attendance at the carnival.

“It is a bit of a shame if all people view the carnival as is a place to get drunk on a field. With everything we try to put on for people it shouldn’t be about alcohol,” he said.

The carnival is paid for through sponsorship and some of the money the organisers have raised the year before.

“It is a community event. We are supported really well by the people of Wroughton and the parish council give us a grant. After last year’s carnival we gave close to £7,000 away to local organisations and groups,” said Paul.

Entry is £2.50 on the gate. For more information on the carnival and its attractions, visit www.wroughtoncarnival.co.uk.