Pat Collins Fairs has clarified the situation over paying for rides at the Ashby Statutes which returns to Market Street and Brook Street tomorrow (Friday).

Earlier this week, it was announced that a token system would be put in place as part of the Statutes making the event as Covid-safe as possible.

A number of readers have since contacted us to ask if cash will be accepted.

The answer is yes you CAN pay with cash - as long as you bring the money with you and do not draw it out from one of the cash machines in Market Street.

Organisers are keen to avoid queues building over over the five days of the fair.

So they are encouraging ways of making things run as smoothly as possible for fair-goers.

They are also asking people to avoid the peak times if possible and delay a visit to the quieter days of Monday or Tuesday if they can.

Pat Collins Fairs general manager Michael Harris told Ashby Nub News: "We're trying to cover all bases, you can buy tokens online or from our website.

"You can also pay cash, but we encourage you to get it before your visit, and not wait in a queue at a bank machine.

"What we're saying is, have it ready when you arrive.

"Also, many of the rides accept contactless, we are trying that too.

"But the problem is that, once you get a large crowd, the Internet is spread very thinly in the area and then the contactless may not work.

"So come prepared with pre-withdrawn cash or the tokens bought from the website.

"We'd also encourage people to come at the off-peak hours if possible.

"Monday and Tuesday are quiet days and the council has allowed us to extend the opening hours this time by two hours.

"We're just trying to make it work after not being able to come here last year."

Michael added: "Our family has a very close connection to Ashby, I was born here and have been coming here for many years.

"But also, we have to be honest, the outdoor leisure industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, and financially, it's had an impact on our business, so it's good to be back and having the wheels turning again.

"Hopefully, we can also bring some joy to the people of Ashby as we have done over the years.

"What we find is that, if people have moved away from the town, they use the Statutes as a meeting point to come back.

"School friends and families, they all come back for the Statutes.

"It's a good thing for the town, the calendar and it's good to be back.

"We have strong links to the town and we count ourselves as residents for a week every year.

"That's how we feel, we've been here that long and we're entrenched in the town."

North West Leicestershire District Council has reminded visitors to the Statutes that Covid cases remain high across the district and is encouraging visitors to stay safe and make use of the additional measures that are in place.

The council also says road closures and a one-way system will be in place whilst the fair is in town, so extra time should be allowed for journeys in and around the town centre.

A pre-order token system is available HERE.