A WAR of words has broken out over who is at fault for the cancellation of the 2016 Real Ale and Cider Festival at Minehead Station.

Barrie Childs of Somerset CAMRA was unhappy with West Somerset Railway general manger Paul Conibeare’s comments that the reason for the cancellation was due to safety issues regarding overcrowding the platform.

Mr Childs said: "The event has run for 16 years without incident because it is well managed. Concern over numbers attending is a red herring as in recent years attendance has not increased. If numbers attending really were an issue we could have restricted numbers by selling an agreed volume of advance tickets. Entry only by advance ticket works well enough at other festivals. This wasn’t suggested because the issue wasn’t raised."

Mr Childs said that he believed the main issue was to do with revenue for the railway.

"We agreed that approximately half of our estimated 3000 festival goers purchase train tickets. The other 1500 therefore contribute nothing directly to the Railway. Our proposed solution was for WSR to operate ticket barriers during the event and charge those not travelling a £5 entry fee.

"We are confident this would have generated between six and seven thousand pounds additional revenue for the Railway.”

Mr Childs also explained why CAMRA did not want to go along with the festival as a 'bolt-on' event.

"WSR’s suggestion that we hold the festival in a marquee adjacent to WSR property is utterly impractical logistically and we clearly explained why. Our Unique Selling Point is that the festival is on the station platform; a marquee event would most certainly not have the same attraction.

"An event effectively held on the street has absolutely no security for the 150 casks of beer and cider and equipment associated with the event.”

West Somerset Railway Paul Conibeare responded saying: “We find it disturbing that CAMRA are seemingly disregarding passenger and event safety.

Contrary to the statement by CAMRA that the WSR cancelled the festival, it was in fact CAMRA that caused the cancellation due to their total lack of flexibility, stating quite clearly that if it is not on the platform they are not interested.

During the period of the festival weekend, the railway will be running a schedule service, therefore we have to consider our passengers, their safety and enjoyment. Over the years, passenger and festival visitor numbers have grown considerably and are now at a level where the WSR believe that the CAMRA festival has outgrown the existing site.

The WSR believe that we have offered a perfectly viable alternative which will offer both visitor safety and will not detract from the overall enjoyment of the event.

Alex de Mendoza, Chairman of Minehead Chamber of Commerce said: "It is a bit of a blow, here we are trying to get people to come to the area, and one of the most popular events on the calendar has been cancelled."

"It is a very popular event for bringing people into the area, and we need more of that, not less."