I would like to thank the Gazette for bringing to my attention the funding of Colchester Carnival (May 14).

I was pleased to see the carnival return to Colchester last year. It is something I and many others supported.

Call me naive, but I simply had no idea this was a commercial venture, with just a donation to charity.

I was shocked to learn the money was paid into a private business account, and that no accounts of the people’s donations exists.

The money raised by this event should be fully disclosed to the last penny, with transparent accountancy.

I would like to ask if the council knew of this, because the vast majority of the 30,000 people who turned out, and I suspect many of the people collecting, certainly didn’t.

Dave Joyce
Culver Street East
Colchester