ORGANISERS of Worcester's annual carnival are demanding a meeting with the city council after this year's joint event was labelled a "fiasco".

The carnival committee has sent a letter to the council outlining where they think the July celebration went wrong.

Members of the committee have also sent copies to anyone who entered a float in the parade telling them they were not in charge of the event.

The annual parade was teamed with the city council's Worcester Arts 2000 Festival for the first time this year.

The carnival committee says it had hoped the procession would be a finale to the Arts Festival, but instead fears it will be remembered "as a badly thought-out, second-class tribute both to the Arts and the Year 2000 celebrations".

Committee chairman Trevor Smith held the first of many meetings with the city council in 1998.

"We understood at that time that the city council and ourselves would plan and work together, in order to stage the biggest event of the celebration year," said Mr Smith.

But he says the day was marred by problems, including spectators and float workers being denied access to public toilets.

"At 5.30pm everything and everyone involved in the procession was locked into the northern end of Pitchcroft and locked out of the end where the music carnival was taking place," he said.

"This caused the committee severe embarrassment. At one point, committee members and disabled people were denied access to the carnival area.

"It was a fiasco.

"All of this could've been avoided if those organising the evening event had been more reasonable and consulted our committee.

"We've sent a letter to the council and forwarded copies to various people. We want to let everyone know that we were as upset as they were."

Wynne Rogers, the city's assistant director of leisure services, said the council had received the letter.

"We are considering its content and will send a response in due course," he said.