BEWDLEY Carnival will go ahead this year after new members came to the rescue of the summer event.

Organisers told the Shuttle/Times & News they would pull the plug on the June carnival if more volunteers did not come forward.

A further nine people have now enlisted, to take the carnival committee to 18 members and save the event from the axe.

Carnival committee secretary, Angie Pitt, said: "We had a marvellous response to the publicity. It was the only way forward to get people to come out to stop us finishing. It would definitely have finished."

She went on: "Everything is all systems go and all we want is for people to come along and enter floats and make it a bigger and better carnival."

The carnival takes place on the field at Bewdley Leisure Centre on Saturday, June 11.

Thousands of people turned out for last year's event, as temperatures soared and carnival-goers basked in blazing sunshine.

An estimated 3,000 people were believed to have attended and among the treats keeping them entertained was a fireworks display.

Floats were accompanied by bands from the Boys Brigade, Bewdley Scouts and Guides and Stourport Scouts and Guides during the carnival parade, from Hales Park, down Cleobury Road and into the town.

The 2004 carnival generated around £1,000 for good causes.

The news that the 2005 event is to go ahead boosts organisers' hopes that they will be able to go on to celebrate the carnival's 40th anniversary in 2006.