A FIRST of its kind event for East Lancashire has been saved at the 11th hour.

On Wednesday the organisers of next weekend’s Colour Splash Run in Blackburn pulled out of the event. The 5km run had been billed as a major part of Blackburn Canal Festival, which is expected to attract thousands of people to the town.

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Runners in the event are showered with multi-hued powders as they pass the crowds. Now the people behind the whole festival have stepped in to save its colourful run, which will still be held on Manor Sutton Street at 10am on July 18.

Graham Vernon, who runs the from Dance and Performing Arts (DAPA) which is based at Eanam Wharf, said Mad Bull Events had withdrawn because of low participant numbers.

Graham, who is also the chairman of the Canal Festival steering committee, said: “We got the full sign off last week and to be hit by this news of them withdrawing this week has been mind blowing.

“As this is the first Colour Run anywhere on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal you can imagine the hoops we have had to jump through to get the all clear from all the organisations including the land owners the Canal and River Trust, the Environment Agency and the local authority.

“We have applied for road closures and the paperwork has been very stressful.

“To get the go ahead and then for the organisers to pull out a week before due to lack of numbers in my opinion is a disgrace.

“Any organisation pulling a community charity event a week before it starts should not be allowed to organise races or public events.

“But we said, ‘it’s got to happen; it’s got to go ahead’.”

The Horwich-based firm Mad Bull Events has been taking entry fees from runners, with Saturday supposed to be the last day participants could enter.

The company was charging £15.50 for adults to join the run, with anyone between five and 15 paying £7.50.

But it confirmed its “Cancellation of Races” in a one-line email sent on July 8 that read: “Just to reiterate that Mad Bull Events will unfortunately no longer be able to run the Canal and Colour races due to unforeseen circumstances.”

No-one from Mad Bull Events was available to comment yesterday.