A BORN-and-bred Kidderminster man is finding it no fun at all as he tries in vain to bring his travelling fair back to town.

Neil Jennings, who runs family funfair business, Jennings Brothers Amuse-ments, says his attempts to revive an independent fair in the town are being frustrated.

The business, which has been passed down through the generations, dates back to the start of the 20th century. It has held various funfairs in the past at sites including the Bromsgrove Street car park before the Forest Glades leisure centre was built, and Pitts Lane before the arrival of Weavers Wharf.

It has also used the Worcester Road traffic island where the bus depot now stands.

Mr Jennings applied to place the funfair in Brinton Park in 2004 but Wyre Forest District Council rejected the idea.

A recent attempt to place it at Brintons sports field was also turned down by the new landowners.

Mr Jennings, 52, said the funfair was part of Kidderminster Carnival last year but the town had not seen an independent fair for five years.

He added: "I've been in the family business all my life and we travel all over the country. Kidderminster has not had an independent funfair for five years because it is so much harder to find a site now, due to redevelopment.

"I just think it's a shame that a funfair that originates from Habberley Valley cannot be brought to the area where it first started. We have promised to pay rent and clear up the site after ourselves but it's like banging our head against a brick wall."

Property developers, Highcross and Graftongate ,now own the Brinton sports ground site.

Highcross director Chris Mills said: "We would like to help and support a community event but, given the public liability issues, the fact we don't know anything about this operator and the fact we are due to put a planning application in, we didn't think it was appropriate."

Andrew Dickens, head of the district council's cultural, commercial and leisure services, said: "We do support visiting funfairs but we don't have any suitable sites at the moment. However, we do point them in the direction of privately owned sites and then it's up to them to make their own arrangements."