City centre bans bouncy castles

Bouncy castles and large inflatable slides have been banned from a Lancashire city centre location in a bid to improve the area's image.

The children's attractions will no longer be allowed to be installed at Preston's historic Flag Market area.

The council's chief executive Jim Carr confirmed that inflatables would be banned completely.

He described them as "inappropriate for that location" especially in the light of plans to improve the city's image.

"They are inappropriate for that location and the decision not to have them has been taken as part of emerging plans to improve the city's image," he said.

The Flag Market in Preston is overlooked over by some of the city's historic buildings including the Harris Museum, war memorial, obelisk, law courts, former post office and town hall.

The area also plays host to a number of events throughout the year, including the annual pot fair.