Hopping mad about The Hoppings
IT’S all the fun of the fair for most Geordies.
But not for some people living in Jesmond, who were left a bit miffed during the Hoppings last year.
They were fed up with the “unacceptably loud” military display in which tanks rolled on to the Town Moor alongside the dodgems.
Newcastle City Council received complaints over the display, which featured war machines and “gunshots”. One local moaned the mock-warfare was “disrupting the peace of the residents of Jesmond”.
Displays included vehicles mounted with machine guns and grenade launchers, as well as an armoured rocket launcher capable of blasting 12 missiles every minute.
Other vehicles on display included The Warrior infantry fighting vehicle, which military chiefs say possesses “excellent lethality”. But seemingly, it didn’t go down well with everyone.
Northumbria Police confirmed it had
received calls from people who heard gunfire.
And one nearby homeowner told the council there had been “unacceptably loud automatic gunshot noises” coming from the Hoppings.
Dubbed the North East’s “leading outdoor military exhibition”, it was staged at the Hoppings fair between June 17-18 last year. But council officials were forced into action after receiving five complaints over the event.
That’s more than half the total number of complaints made over the Hoppings in general since 2015.
Newcastle City Council says the display’s organisers were “advised” following the objections.
It was unable to immediately confirm if the display would return this year.
However a spokesperson for the Fifth Fusiliers, who staged the display, said: “The noise levels are no louder than a firework display.”
The display was held to help open the 135th annual Hoppings, which is Europe’s largest non-permanent funfair.
This year the event will take place between June 22 and 30.
MILITARY EXHIBIT AT HOPPINGS LED TO FIVE COMPLAINTS