Blackpool's annual influx of pigeons has been saved by Government vets.

There were fears that January's annual Royal Pigeon Racing Association show could fall victim to a Europe-wide ban on bird shows, introduced in response to the threat of Avian Flu.

But, after lobbying by the association, the Department for the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (Defra) has ruled that risk of the killer disease spreading through homing pigeons is 'low.'

Announcing the lifting of the ban, animal welfare minister, Ben Bradshaw, said: "Our vets have carried out a risk assessment and their advice is that pigeon shows can go ahead under licence.

"We will take forward this advice and work with stakeholders to ensure any risk is minimised so that these events can go ahead. We will be working closely with stakeholders to ensure that appropriate provisions can be developed to license pigeon racing."

As the Citizen revealed last month there were fears that the event, which regularly attracts more than 25,000 people to the resort at what is traditionally the most quiet time of the year, would only be able to go ahead without its star attraction - the 3,000 birds.

General manager of the association, Peter Bryant, said: "This isn't just a pigeon event. Whenever you have 25 to 30,000 people together it is a social event. There is a carnival atmosphere in Blackpool that weekend."

The only outstanding issue now is pigeon sales. Traditionally these are held at venues across the resort during the weekend. But licence conditions set down by Defra ban sales and insist that all pigeons are returned to their original homes at the conclusion of the show. The association says it will offer veterinary evidence that this is not necessary. Next year's pigeon weekend is on January 21 and 22.