THE president of Worcester Carnival has stepped down.

After bringing back the carnival in 2017 after a shock last-minute cancellation in 2016, Worcester City Councillor Alan Feeney will be handing over the reins next year.

Cllr Feeney says he has moved out of the city and wants to pass it onto a local resident.

He said: "It has been a huge honour to serve as carnival president. We had a mountain to climb to restore the reputation of the carnival and to put on an event the city hadn’t seen in 24 years. My job was to bring the carnival back, and thanks to the incredible work of the committee, I can walk away with my head held high.

"More than anything, I would like to thank the people of Worcester, because it is them who really make the carnival come alive.

"I doubt there is any role I will undertake in the future that will quite measure up to my time as carnival president.

"It’s great to know that this amazing event is safe in the hands of a fantastic team of people for years to come, and I know it will only continue to get bigger and better.

"It also warms my heart to see the faces of all the children as they look down from their hand built floats on the thousands of people who lined the streets to cheer them on these last two years.”

The city councillor for Warndon Parish North also reflected on conversations with those involved in the carnivals of old, most notably former chairman, the late Mike Layland.

He said: “Mike offered some tremendous advice and since he was part of the carnival for so long, it really was advice worth listening to.”

Thousands of people gathered to watch the parade through the city on Saturday.