A 450-year-old tradition of knocking heads on a stone to mark a town boundary is to be made safer by a council - over health and safety fears.
The much-loved Beating of the Boundaries ceremony in Helston in Cornwall dates back to Queen Elizabeths charter of 1585.
It involves marking the towns boundaries with a sod of turf placed on a granite stone marker.
Traditionally, participants were lifted - laid horizontally - and had their heads gently struck against the stone three times.
Beating of the Boundaries ceremony in Helston in Cornwall dates back to Queen Elizabeths charter of 1585
It involves marking the towns boundaries with a sod of turf placed on a granite stone marker
The local council unanimously voted to recommend that participants will now have the choice to kneel and touch their head on the stone, or to hit the stone with sticks.
But following a detailed debate, the local council unanimously voted to recommend that participants will now have the choice to kneel and touch their head on the stone, or to hit the stone with sticks.
In response to safety concerns Helston Town Council has put a motion forward to amend the historic Beating the Boundaries tradition.
The decision was brought forward to councillors during the meeting when it was suggested an alternative a safer method for participants.
As well as this, participants will no longer be lifted at the Beating of the Boundaries by council staff with immediate effect.
In a post shared on a Facebook group, Helston Town Council has reassured members of the public that despite council workers no longer being able to lift children, children and adults are still able to be lifted by family members and friends,
The proposal is categorically not about stopping people being lifted to tap their heads on the stones as part of this ancient tradition, Helston Town Council stated.
Our proposal is that Helston Town Council staff and workers will no longer offer to lift children and adults due to serious safety concerns raised by everyone.
This proposal would not prevent parents lifting their children, or adults from lifting each other as part of the event.
Earlier this year, Cornish hurling, a traditional of the St Ives Feast which involved am ancient form of rugby where two teams of men scramble to keep possession of the cricket-ball sized ball made of apple wood coated in silver,, was also subject to health and safety interfering.
Over the years the tradition has evolved and now also involves children.
It begins with the mayor throwing the silver ball over the wall at St Ias parish church onto the beach below at Lambeth Walk while shouting guare wheg ya guare teg - which translates to fair play is good play in Cornish.
After hours of rough and tumble, players return to the guildhall in the Royal Square where councillors drop pennies from the balcony and wait for the clock to strike noon.
However earlier this year a health and and safety review by Cornwall Council was scoffed at by town councillors after it suggested wrapping a tangerine in foil, replacing silver coins for chocolate coins, and moving the location with the high tide meaning children will have to start the game on dangerous jagged rocks.
St Ives Town Council refused to back down to move the location with one councillor describing it as health and safety gone mad.