AN organ grinder and his toy monkey have been banned from performing in the streets of a Derbyshire town due to concerns over health and safety.
Ripley Town Council had to cancel summer holiday act Paddy Cooke and his monkey Simon, who were due to perform in the town centre, after being ordered to carry out a risk assessment.
The decision was made after licensing bosses at Amber Valley Borough Council wanted to gauge if the pair posed a danger to the public.
A Punch and Judy show and a dance act have also been shelved in the past three weeks.Mr Cooke, of Crich, wears Victorian costume as he walks around playing his organ, a copy of an instrument used more than 150 years ago.
The 64-year-old, a former fireman and usher at Alfreton Magistrates’ Court, has been grinding organs for 15 years He said: “It’s not as if I have a live monkey which might jump at people. Mine is a battery-operated interactive toy and the best I have ever had. He says things like ‘I want a banana’ and even once offered to tell me the sum of pi squared.
“I suppose someone might trip over a paving slab when listening to the music and blame me but I have been doing this for years without a problem.”
Mr Cooke, whose two sons are also organ grinders, was hired as part of the summer entertainment provided by the town council and has £10m public liability insurance cover. He is also a member of the actors’ union, Equity.
But before his July 26 performance, the authority received orders from Amber Valley Borough Council which demanded to see a general risk assessment before letting street acts go ahead.It wanted to study a list of hazards and know how they could be made safe, and even how many people might watch the shows.
Ripley Mayor Lynn Joyes said: “The risks are very low and how do performers know how big an audience they’ll get? That depends on the weather. If it’s raining you might get five, but if the weather is nice, there’ll be 105.”
Labour group leader Geoff Carlile said: “This is typical of bureaucracy gone mad. This was sprung on us at the last minute and left us in a difficult situation.”The council was told the ruling also applies to dance groups, clowns and brass bands, including the Salvation Army.
Steve Freeborn, who represents Butterley ward, said: “What is the risk — it’s absolutely potty.” But the borough council defended its decision.Simon Gladwin, head of landscape services, said:
“We always require that anyone organising a public event or entertainment on land managed by the borough council completes a risk assessment. “In cases such as this, where performers are unable to supply a personal risk assessment of their activities, it is the responsibility of the organiser to provide the risk assessment. “These are not required for every performer. We simply require an assessment that takes into account the different activities taking place in each location,” he said.The town council’s summer entertainments programme has now been suspended until further notice.It is hoped that a risk assessment can be completed within the next seven days then sent to the borough council for approval.
I knew Keith would be Happy to come and explain about Risk Assessments, Who is going to explain to my missus that she cant go to the nail bar this week because Malc was killed when he hit a lorry with no lights?
