Hemsworth Independent Town Council:  Risks to Lives, Limbs and Children’s Safety…

After becoming increasingly concerned about the activities at Hemsworth Town Council, an entertainer has come forward and contacted Ferret.

They were hired for the Jubilee event.

The following makes disturbing reading, but it follows a well established pattern of behaviour and standards that are now apparently accepted as normal at Hemsworth Town Council.

It is a longer than usual post but Ferret believes it must be shared:

“At the Jubilee event I was hired to entertain children and families for 5 hours.

It clearly stated in my T&Cs that I required a stage to perform on due to public safety (risk assessment/wires/electrical equipment etc) but Sam (Waterpark Manager) attempted to put me in a corner on the grass and was telling me I had to run wires across the public footpath.

I refused to do so, due to public safety and the possibility of someone making a claim on my public liability if there was a trip or serious incident.

Even my junior assistant told Sam unless she was willing to tape down the wires and put in writing that any claims would be via her own public liability (If she even had this) we could not safely perform.

To cut a long story short, she attempted to have me taken offsite but the hired security team even applauded me (literally gave me a round of applause).

Then the town councillor came along and said they needed me as people were already waiting for my entertainments to begin – I still refused to perform unless we had the stage, which he allowed me to access.

However I was forced to apologise to Sam for “upsetting her”; though I was within my rights.

She clearly had no idea how public performance works or had not even done her own risk assessment whilst ordering everyone around.

I’ve also run holiday clubs at the Community Centre, which I now will no longer do as that in itself was a shambles.

The staff there had ALOT to say about HTC and the councillors especially Sam.

I was also hired at Christmas and had to provide my Enhanced DBS certified, Safeguarding certified and insured professional Santa & Mrs Claus.

However 2 days before the event I was made aware that a councillor and his wife would be doing this now (Santa and Mrs Claus) only see that he had removed his beard half way through the day and told children he had a shave!!

He also asked an 8 year old girl for a kiss on the lips whilst holding her inappropriately!

I have this in writing and have asked the parent if she would support me in telling this to others if needed and she said she would and had already put in a complaint to HTC but heard nothing back.

I had children approach me at the Precinct (I was an elf after being pulled from being Mrs Claus) and children were telling me how they KNOW it wasn’t the real Santa because he’d had a shave (removed his beard).

We are professional children’s entertainers and event organisers and have all the correct credentials and years of experience, yet HTC decided to allow an inexperienced councillor to portray this important character to ruin the illusion of Santa for many and even asked a child for kisses on the lips!”

Ferret was astonished in some ways on hearing this sad and despicable story, but not surprised.

We constantly ask the question: How low can they go, it appears to be a bottomless pit…