A FUN FAIR has been told to leave the city due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. 

Brighton and Hove City Council has asked the attraction on The Level to close after advice from its Public Health team. 

Alistair Hill, the city’s Director of Public Health, said the decision was “difficult” but safety was “paramount”. 

“We want people to be able to have fun and enjoy themselves, but the safety of our residents and visitors has to be our number one priority,” he said.

The fun fair is managed by Coles Amusements, which has been thanked for agreeing to close.

Coles Amusements has done everything possible to run a Covid-19 secure event, successfully following agreed measures, the council said. 

The decision to close the fun fair sooner than scheduled is due to the changing situation nationally and locally about the number of people with Covid-19. 

The fun fair had been due to stay until September 27, however it will now leave today.

Mr Hill added: “I’m asking everyone to keep playing their part and follow the guidance.

"To slow the virus we all need to step up physical distancing, wear face coverings where advised, limit contact between households and follow the ‘rule of six’.

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"Thank you to everyone for your support and the actions you are taking to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”

In the last week, there has been a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city. 

“We all must act to prevent large gatherings, particularly among younger people where the rise is most pronounced”, the council said. 

A spokeswoman said: “It’s really important that everyone continues to play their part and follows the guidance to reduce the risk of passing on Covid-19 to others.

“The fun fair has been a very popular attraction in the city for a long time and we are looking forward to welcoming Coles Amusements back in the future”

The city has been put on a yellow warning after coronavirus cases reached record levels.

Last Thursday, Brighton and Hove recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in a single day since the start of the pandemic, prompting an alert from the city’s health chief.

READ MORE: City put on YELLOW virus warning (here is the scale)

Mr Hill said the increase has been greatest in young people, particularly those aged 16 to 24.

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“We know that many have caught the virus when visiting friend’s houses and at parties,” he said.

“Therefore we are asking everyone to play their part and follow the guidance, especially all young people across the city.”

Mr Hill has set up an “escalation framework” using a traffic light system – from green to yellow, amber then red.

The aim is to keep everyone in the city up to date about the current rate of confirmed cases here and how they can help to prevent the spread of infection.