FEARS that a Suffolk town could be left looking dreary over the Jubilee weekend have been allayed.

Some Hadleigh residents contacted the town council this week complaining that there was no patriotic red, white and blue bunting criss-crossing the historic High Street.

But thankfully town clerk Carol Bailey confirmed that reports stating bunting had been banned from the High Street due to health and safety reasons were “simply not true”.

She said: “It is ridiculous to say that we have banned it, when the reason why we don’t have bunting across the street at the moment is because most of the buildings here are listed and it would be physically impossible to attach it at a high enough level for vehicles, including big lorries that regularly use the road, to avoid it.”

She added: “Other towns like Needham Market have experienced the same difficulties in conservation areas where they can’t put bunting across the roads because it would hang so low that the buses simply wouldn’t be able to get under it.”

Mrs Bailey said contrary to statements made by Babergh District councillor Brian Riley that the town council appeared to be unprepared for the jubilee celebrations, the authority had actually commissioned handmade decorations especially for the event.

“A local craft group, and the town’s Brownie and Guide packs have designed and made bunting for the town and it is our intention to have this zig-zagged across the street this weekend when the road will be closed for our big lunch and celebrations on Sunday,” she added. “If this proves logistically impossible, it will be draped from the buildings instead, but it will definitely be there.”