Organisers of a carnival event have called in the police following a backlash – after announcing this year’s ‘queen’ would be a 16-year-old boy.
Ringwood Carnival bosses have now withdrawn the announcement that the youngster would be leading proceedings after online trolls hit out at the ‘woke, ideological’ decision.
Last year, it named a 16-year-old girl as ‘carnival queen’, and she was paraded through the streets on a horse-drawn carriage.
Following trolling, organisers have instead appointed the boy, named only as James, as a carnival ‘ambassador’ – and called in Hampshire Police to assess the viability of threats of ‘disruption and abusive language’.
Promoters of the traditional event in the Hampshire town, a few miles north-east of Bournemouth, have hit out at abusive followers and said the teen had been left ‘upset’ by the backlash.
