Lincolnshire Police charged Grantham Carnival Committee nearly £2,300 for the extra staff called in to patrol this year's event, and the force says it will do everything it can to keep costs to a minimum in years to come.

Last year's event was £1,400 over budget because of poor ticket sales for the Party in the Park Concert and other unexpected costs. The policing bill for 2007 has also not yet been paid.

Carnival committee chairman Roy Wright is working to find cash to keep the annual event afloat.

Lincolnshire Police says it charges for policing events in line with guidelines set down by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Chief Inspector Ian Gorst said: "The carnival is fantastic for the local community and we sincerely hope it continues.

"During ongoing discussions we will work with the Carnival Committee to ensure the event can be run safely, whilst minimising additional expenditure being incurred.

"We are continuing to follow national ACPO guidelines on recouping the costs of policing such events and it must be made clear that these guidelines will be applied to every single event of this nature. The carnival is not an exception - these are the rules we follow across the force."

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