A controversial decision to cancel the Coconutters appearance at a market has been turned upside down.

Bacup Makers Market booked the Britannia Coconut Dancers, a Bacup group which was formed while the mining industry was prevalent in Rossendale.

The group has sparked controversy, with a number of people emailing the market to complain about their appearance – which led the organisers to cancel the group.

The group wear wooden discs or nuts on their hands, knees with a belly nut around the waist and face paint, with the group saying the face paint represents the coal dust-covered faces of the miners who devised the dances.

The folk troupe was supposed to be dancing for about five hours around Bacup on Saturday.

This however has backfired with locals angered by the decision made by the events comittee to cancel the group, with many people commenting that they will be 'boycotting' the market.

Stall holders have not been involved in the decision and are as outraged as locals but have asked people to avoid boycotting the market, asking people to still attend the market to help support local businesses.

This outrage has led the market to attempt to rebook the dancers on Sunday if they are able to fit it around the schedule.

The makers market has declined to comment on the situation.