Walking festival litter pick casualty to new Covid-19 gathering rules

A litter pick due to mark the opening of Wellington Walking Festival today has been cancelled to new coronavirus restriction on gatherings.

The tidy up session on the Wrekin and Ercall due to start at 9am has been called off along with along with the closing celebration scheduled for Sunday.(20)

Despite the changes all of the festival walks will go ahead as planned.

In a statement festival organisers Wellington Walkers are Welcome said: "We are pleased to say that all the walks of the festival will still take place. All walks have a leader and five participants in bubbles of six.

"In many cases a second leader will also lead the same walk but with a five or ten minute delay. This

will mean that numbers have to be reduced on certain walks and unfortunately this will

result in some walkers being disappointed, but we are being creative and offering walks on

different days or times to keep this number to an absolute minimum.

"We regret the changes, but feel in this way we will enable the Festival to go ahead, and

walkers can enjoy our many great walking routes from Wellington."

Wellington Walkers are Welcome were due to celebrate the festival's tenth anniversary with a special ceremony with civic dignitaries at the Bowring Park, in Haygate Road, on Sunday. This event will no longer go ahead.

Walkers booked in advance will be contacted by the team by email to inform them of the programme changes.

More details about the festival are available on www.wellingtonwalkersarewelcome.org.uk/festival