A Bromsgrove resident was left in fear of a "crush" at the Christmas light switch-on event last weekend.
The hugely popular event, which was held on November 18, continues to get bigger and better, but residents have expressed their upset about the overcrowding and lack of exit routes around the stage this year.
One mum from Bromsgrove, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “The switch-on was fantastic and it was really good to see the community come together, but in the moment, the pushing and shoving wasn’t ideal.
“The event itself and the market were amazing, but the staging was the problem. The routes had been blocked off by the traffic lights near the Wetherspoons and there was another barrier on the other side making it feel impossible to escape the crowds.
“I had my two young children and my mum with me, and I felt so scared about it ending up in a big crush. Nothing was moving at all.”
The resident and her family managed to escape the crowds, but she wants Bromsgrove District Council to reconsider the position of the staging next year to keep everyone safe.
She particularly feared for the elderly and vulnerable people attending the event at the weekend.
She added: “My kids absolutely loved it. The carnival was fantastic, we made use of Birdbox and Santa even made an appearance which was lovely. I’m really not faulting the event itself, but I think the staging needs reorganising for next year.
“The stewards didn’t look like they could control the crowds and whilst the police presence was really comforting, I’m not sure it was as safe as it could have been.”
In response to the feedback, a spokesperson for Bromsgrove District Council said: “We would like to reassure residents that, like all of our events, rigorous planning, especially around risk management, is carried out and external experts including the Highways Authority and Police are consulted as part of this.
“While this year was busier than ever, the High Street area is not an enclosed space and putting the stage at one end of the High Street enables us to have space down the sides of it for people to make their way towards Worcester Street and away from the crowds.
“There were also stewards on the ground to help disperse any bottlenecks. We will of course look at all the feedback and consider the issues raised as part of our event planning for next year.”
The council is also inviting residents to give their feedback on this year’s event by visiting www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/BromsgroveXmasLightSwitchon2023
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