NEGLIGENT, dangerous and outrageous are the words being attached by some residents to the Halloween Fest event in New Street, last Saturday.

The Reporter has also received a report that diverted traffic was rumbling down residential side streets, because of the New Street road closure for the event, and that lorries were seen having to reverse all the way back down New Street from the barriers.

But Cllr Tony Bradford, who attended the event, said he saw no traffic problems at all, and he is asking to see the evidence of the traffic problems, in the form of photographs.

On the day, Cllr Bradford, chairman of the town's environment and leisure committee, was expressing concerns that signage put out to highlight the road closure appeared to have been moved, inexplicably.

Speaking after the event of the complaints, he said: "From what I saw, for even the traffic down by the Full Pitcher, it was a normal day. Have the people who complained got photographs?"

He added: "If you close any road, you are going to get diversions. The aim of the event was to bring people into the town, and that's just what it did. It caused no traffic disruption, to my knowledge."

A West Mercia Police spokesman confirmed that no complains about traffic problems relating to the festival were logged on the day.

The spokesman said: "I've searched our logs and haven't found any reports relating to the Halloween event; it doesn't appear we were contacted about any concerns."

On Monday, a Herefordshire Council spokesman said it had also received no complaints concerning traffic problems at Halloween Fest.

But some residents insist that this is far from being the complete picture.

One resident said: "Negligent, dangerous and outrageous are the words that that readily spring to mind following this event.

"I imagine that the intentions behind this closure were well meant. However, there was a lack of forethought regarding the possible consequences of holding this Hallowe'en event. To begin with, residents and other road-users ought to have been given several days' notice of there being no access to Malvern and beyond on November 28.

"We had been assured that residents of Harling and Born Court would have access by vehicle. In the event that proved difficult and dangerous to pedestrians who stood or stepped into the path of our car as we left home. Fortunately, we were driving very slowly, using the motor horn.

"With barriers in place fire appliances would have been severely hindered. This shows a negligent lack of pre-planning on what is a well-known thoroughfare north. Did no one realise that it's a B class road?"

The resident added: "We have learned that there are likely to be other applications for events that will lead to the closure of New Street we ask that they be rejected on safety grounds and for the benefit of those who live on this busy through route."