A BIKERS’ convention which attracts around 8,000 motorcyclists has been cancelled for the first time since 1978.

The Cassington Bike Night, organised by the British Motorcycle Riders’ Club (BRMC) of Oxford, was due to be held on Monday, June 27, But organisers have been told they must close the road for this year’s event because of the big increase in riders.

Closing the road would cost £1,500, which would eat up half the £3,000 usually raised for Cassington Primary School.

And Oxfordshire County Council has also said there is now not enough time to arrange for the street to be shut.

Peter Carpenter, president of the BMRC of Oxford, said the bike night was being cancelled after the authorities raised health and safety concerns – even though he claimed there had never been any problems before.

The pensioner from Stanford in the Vale said: “This event has been running for many years and attracts about 8,000 motorbikes.

“To date there have never been any problems.

“I am very disappointed. It will be a real blow to the village.

“Bikers come from far and wide for this event. Some come from London while others come from Holland.”

Mr Carpenter, who rides a Vincent 998cc or Matchless 350cc vintage bike, said he thought some of the bikers might turn up anyway.

Fellow club member Peter Brain, 62, from Kidlington, added: “I have been a member of the club for a couple of years and I have been riding motorbikes since I was 14.

“This is a huge event for Cassington – it takes over the village.

“I gather the authorities wanted us to spend a lot of money sending people on courses to be marshalls and wanted to put barriers all around the village green to stop people walking in the road.

“I think this is yet another example of the nanny state.”

Rodney Rose, the county council’s cabinet member for transport, said authorities met organisers to find a solution.

He said: “No one wants to see a popular event cancelled.

“But there are obviously genuine safety issues in-volved in the organisation of a large-scale rally on a public road, and the responsibility falls to the organisers of such events to provide the necessary resources.

“Unfortunately the organisers have decided that with the rally having grown significantly in size, they cannot provide the resources required to ensure a safe event this year.”

Mr Rose said the council had concerns accidents could have happened because of the sheer number of bikes sharing roads with other traffic.

Mr Carpenter said future events could be in jeopardy because of the cost of closing the road.

The Barton Bash, in Oxford, was due to take place on Saturday, July 9 at the Neighbourhood Centre, but organisers cancelled the celebration because they said the city council asked them to fill in too many forms.