The fundraising duck race, that usually sees at least a couple of thousand sponsored plastic ducks race from Mansbridge to Woodmill on August bank holiday Monday, has had to be cancelled this year to prevent the usual crowds forming.
Article continues after this message...
Pic: Anne Mainwaring
The event is organised jointly by Southampton Solent Lions and Swanwick Lions clubs, and is their major fundraising event.
This would have been its 31st year.
Steve Crook, Solent Lions secretary, said it had been cancelled because they wouldn’t be able to control the number of people in close proximity at what’s usually a well attended local event.
Crowds usually gather on the river bank to cheer the ducks on their way, hoping theirs will be a prize winner.
But Steve confirmed there are hopes the duck race will return in future.
“We are certainly already talking about hopefully being allowed to run it in some format next year,” he said.
Since its early days, the number of ducks has grown from 500 to 2500.