The crew of Norwich's party pirate ship have threatened to make council officials walk the plank after they were ditched ahead of the upcoming Lord Mayor's procession.
Blasting out sea shanties and firing smoking cannons, the bawdy boat has entertained city folk for more than 10 years, after being built by captain and Intouch Systems director Steve Temple at a cost of several thousand pounds.
Recently the ship has entertained crowds with its static pirate parties after the vessel was banned from sailing the high streets of Norwich in 2019 along with all other motorised vehicles.
But now party pooping pen pushers at the city council have banned the boat entirely, ahead of the procession on Saturday, July 8.
Captain Temple expressed his disappointment at the decision saying the lily-livered move represented the council's latest attempts to "kill" the carnival.
READ MORE: 'I am the devil, I make children cry' - Meet the man inside Snap the Dragon
He said: "I'd make them walk the plank!
"After Covid we made it permanent and it was one of the event's most popular attractions outside Debenhams.
"But they've already killed the parade really, no one bothers to go and see it now that it's all walking and bikes."
The vessel will now change course to Cromer Carnival, but Captain Temple says it may soon be shipwrecked if it is no longer needed.
He added: "I've put thousands into this and we don't get anything back, we're a local business wanting to do something fun.
"Unfortunately it looks like it'll be scrapped at the end of the year.
"I don't understand their decision at all, they have 20-year-old buses pumping out emissions there every day, but they can't have any vehicles in the carnival it's ridiculous."
A council spokesman said the decision had been made to freshen up its offering this year, adding that it would be open to hosting the ship again in the future.
He said: "We decided to refresh the programme for next month’s Lord Mayor’s Weekend, with an aim to draw crowds to different areas of the city and offer something for a broader range of people.
"This meant that a number of elements across the event have changed and we have been in contact with Intouch Systems to explain this.
"There is a huge amount on offer this year including an extensive line-up of musical, spoken word, dance and acrobatic performances on two main stages, as well as a funfair, food offerings and the return of the Lord Mayor’s procession.
"The event showcases the very best that Norwich has to offer and we hope it will continue to be something that the city can be proud of.
"We are grateful for the support InTouch Systems have provided to our events previously and would be happy to discuss working with them on future events."
The history of Norwich's Lord Mayor's procession
The procession as we know it today began in 1977, but the history of the event dates back to medieval times when it was a celebration of St George's Day.
It used to feature over 100 attractions, but in recent years, the number of floats has fallen to just over 50 and the campaign aims to encourage businesses, charities and organisations in the city to get involved with their procession for the enjoyment of the people of Norwich.
Ever since medieval times, the parade has been led by Snap the Dragon, who aims to steal children's caps and make them cry, and ever since 2009 has been trailed by the party pirates.
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