Otley residents left stumped after maypole gets the chop
RESIDENTS have reacted with fury after the world’s tallest maypole was felled in a town hosting the opening day of the Tour de France.
Otley maypole was found to be rotting at its base during a risk assessment ahead of the Yorkshire Grand Depart on July 5.
But rather than repair or replace the symbol – a maypole has stood on the site in the market town for more than 400 years – it was simply cut down.
The Tour goes through Belgium and Spain on its way to Paris
Local councillor Ryk Downes said: “What would have been a tourist attraction, helping put Otley on the map and in the minds of tourists from around the world at the Grand Depart is nothing more than a shaved stump.”
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “The risks of not doing so far outweighed the alternative.”
The Tour also goes through Belgium and Spain on its way to Paris.