FUMING locals have slammed TikTok influencers for ruining their annual Christmas event after it went viral.
Columbia Road in Bethnal Green, East London, was once branded the capital’s “most Christmassy street” because of its festivities.
tiktok/rebeccaclare97The event in Bethnal Green had to be cancelled as too many people swarmed the street[/caption]
Every Wednesday throughout December, locals would hand out free mulled wine and sing carols to get into the Christmas spirit.
But after 7,000 people flooded the street, the event had to be cancelled – much to the dismay of residents.
They have now blamed TikTokers for hijacking the carol service, which had to be axed for the two remaining Wednesdays of the month.
Joe Nolan, who has lived on Columbia Road for 30 years, told MyLondon: “It got out of hand, it could have been very dangerous. It was so packed that someone could have fallen over.
“It genuinely took everyone by surprise, this never happened before. Nobody was expecting the numbers, nobody, but that’s TikTok apparently.”
Another local said she had to push her way through crowds to get to her front door.
She added: “Someone was hyperventilating, they had to come to the back to my friend’s shop to sit down and breathe.
“It was dangerous, people were pushed against the windows, someone could have fallen through.”
The event was first launched ten years by shopkeepers as a way to thank their loyal customers.
Businesses stay open later than usual and offer out free mulled wine, while St Peter’s Church invites residents to enjoy a carol service.
Although tourists have been flocking to the street for years, crowds got out of hand when social media users started sharing videoes.
One clip was viewed by half-a-million people – leading to thousands of festive followers visiting the event.
St Peter’s announced it had been forced to cancel its last two events for safety reasons.
Alistair Smith, 59, who has taken part in every Christmas bash, said: “It was absolutely essential to cancel the event, it was totally unsafe.
“People here were not shopping, were not singing, they were just filming content, it was purely for content. we’ve done it for 10 years and it’s been a very special thing and it’s just been hijacked.”
While Julia Tuke, owner of the Milagros shop on Columbia Road, added: “It’s a great thing for the community, it’s a real shame not to have the carols, they just make it so much nicer, they really lift it.
“But you can’t just plan for something to go on TikTok and for people to come, it was beginning to happen last year but we didn’t realise exactly what was going on.”
The event is expected to make a return next year just in time for Christmas.
It comes after England‘s oldest Christmas market in Lincoln was also cancelled because it became too popular.
The market began in 1982 with only 11 stalls selling handmade gifts, but has grown massively since then.
But after attracting 320,000 people last year, local councillors decided to scrap the event as it’s now too popular and has become a risk to public safety.
tiktok/rebeccaclare97Organisers said there was a risk to public safety[/caption]
Around 7,000 people showed up Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
