THE annual Bradford Pride, due to take place next month, has been suddenly cancelled with organisers citing increasing running costs and licensing issues.

The celebration of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is run by volunteers and is held every spring in Centenary Square and the adjoining City Park.

The event has been growing in popularity year-on-year and last year's event, the tenth, attracted about 10,000 people.

But Bradford Pride organisers have now announced that this year's event, due to be held on Saturday, May 28, will not go ahead.

A post on the group's Facebook page blamed "financial and licensing constraints".

Bradford Council had been working with the organisers about staging the event and its spokesman said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the cancellation.

Organisers said they wanted to make clear that the event had not been halted by the council, and that a license for the event to take place had not been applied for in time.

Ann Morgan, chairman of the Pride Committee, said increasing costs and bureaucracy had led to the decision to cancel this year's event which was being paid for through donations and fundraising.

She said: "The cost has been increasing over the past few years, and last year we were asked to put on extra security.

"We were being asked to be responsible for people even if they were outside the fenced area of the event.

"It has pushed the price up beyond what we can afford. We've struggled to get all the funding we needed in the past, and then we have all this on top too.

"We've had feelers out for funding, but as the deadline was approaching we had to decide we couldn't carry on before it was too late.

"It would have been nice to have had more people involved in volunteering."

She cited a change in council policy, introduced last year, that clamped down on vendors in City Park as an example of the bureaucracy the festival faced.

On the future of Pride, Mrs Morgan said: "I hope that this will galvanise the community and the event will return next year. And we will try to negotiate better deals for the licenses for future events."

The decision to cancel the event has led the organisers to receive some stinging criticism on social media.

Mrs Morgan said: "What hurts the most is all the allegations people have been making online. We're a group of volunteers and don't get paid for this."

A council spokesman said the increase in security was not part of the licensing requirements for the event but had been suggested by police.

"We were willing to support the Bradford Pride event with funding from our Visitor Promotion Fund," said the spokesman.

"We’re not aware of what other funding streams the event organisers were reliant on.

"Conversations about using the park were ongoing but we’re surprised and obviously disappointed to hear that the event is now not going ahead.”

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the council's executive member for education, skills and culture, said: “I’m really disappointed that the organisers feel they have to cancel Pride this year.

"It’s been a really successful part of the Bradford events calendar for years now. It’s a huge job running such an event, but the organisers did it brilliantly, attracting big crowds.

"I do hope they now focus on staging an even better event next year.”

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland has written to the council's chief executive Kersten England to ask what the council has done to help maintain the staging of the Pride event.

Cllr Sunderland said: "It is a big celebration for the city, and is something we want to carry on. It is part of the life of Bradford, just as Pride events are part of the lives of many cities."

Neil Fieldhouse contacted the Telegraph & Argus to express his disappointment.

He said: "What a absolute showing up. Bradford is very much a multi-cultural city who accepts any religion and any walk in life so its vital Pride is an event that shows the LGBT community is accepted.

"Just over a month to go till the big day and you cancel the event! Very sad day for Bradford."

It is not the first city centre event to have been cancelled in the past year. In November high winds and heavy rain led to the cancellation of the aerial acrobatics show planned for the Christmas lights switch on.

And last June the World Curry Festival in City Park was cancelled due to a family bereavement of one of the organisers. It was re-scheduled, but due to the busy calendar in City Park, the event was held in Lister Park in Manningham in September.