BEDALE'S hugely successful car boot sales are set to restart on June 5 if lockdown restrictions carry on being lifted.

The events are run by Bedale Town council with different local charitable organisations and community groups helping to operate them on the day and benefitting from collections taken at the ground. Clerk Nick Reed told members at their online meeting this week they were getting increasing queries about when the Saturday morning car boot sales would restart. In line with government guidelines he said May 17 would be when events would be allowed, but to make sure they had time to sort out organisation it would be better to aim for June 5, as long as advice did not change.

Councillor Amanda Coates said: "We can't meet in groups of 30 and over and to be honest I would rather hold it off all year but I know we can't, but if we can start in June that would help."

Councillor John Noone said they should aim for that date and if anything changed in the meantime they could work with that.

A draw has already been held to give groups set dates to operate the car boots and councillors agreed to abide by the existing list from last year. On June 5 Bedale Sharks swimming group is due to run the event, there was concern that it has now merged with Northallerton Amateur swimming club and may not qualify as a local organisation. But councillor Malcolm Young said: "They are still Bedale kids and are using Bedale swimming pool so I think it is effectively the same in a different form. It is the administration that is being done by Northallerton."

It was agreed the Sharks should continue to hold the first car boot.

Funfair: Members were told a funfair is due to be held on Bedale Park from May 24 to 31. Mr Reed said an extensive document of Covid-19 security preparations has been supplied by the organisers and if they adhered to them there should not be any problems.

Lifebelts: Councillors agreed to investigate getting life belts for Bedale beck. Councillor Amanda Coates said she was concerned after seeing people with children as well as elderly people along the bankside.

"There really is very little room from the path to the waters edge. I just thought there is nothing there to help them other than someone going in to save them. I think there was something there years and years ago but there is nothing there now and I really do think we need them.

Councillor John Noone said they would have to be aware of vandalism and there would need to be an investigation as to where to put lifebelts because the bottom of the beck below the harbour floods and it could be difficult to reach it if the beck was swollen.