COUNCIL and police bosses are encouraging organisers of Remembrance events to ensure they apply for relevant road closures in a correct and timely fashion to ensure services go ahead with the dignity they deserve.

The advice comes after complaints were made following Wordsley's Remembrance event held at the cenotaph outside Holy Trinity Church in the High Street on Sunday November 8.

Councillor Matt Rogers said it was "upsetting" that traffic was not made to stop for the two-minute silence and hit out at the PCSO who attended for not taking action to stop cars.

While resident Frank Cox said the traffic trundling past the war memorial, along the busy A491, "made a mockery of proceedings and was utterly disrespectful to the fallen and their relatives present".

A West Midlands Police spokesman, however, said police only have powers to close roads in an emergency and the PCSO was right not to attempt to do so.

He stressed the responsibility falls on the organisers of events to apply for a valid road closure with the local authority in advance.

Dudley's cabinet member for environmental services, councillor Hilary Bills, confirmed: "Any event requiring a road closure must be requested, in advance via Dudley Council.

"This allows us to create a traffic notice to inform local residents and also let the emergency services and public transport providers know of the impact of any closures or diversions on their routes.

"Once a request is made we can work with event organisers to ensure barriers are provided to ensure the safety of those attending and support them in deploying their own trained stewards for the barriers."

According to the council, a road closure for Wordsley High Street - to run from 11am to 11.05am - was applied for and barriers were dropped off on Remembrance Sunday but a spokesman for the authority said it was believed "the organiser had to withdraw due to ill-health" and this may have resulted in the road closure not going ahead.

Cllr Bills said the council's main event in central Dudley was a "great success" and "the majority of the borough's 11 community-organised Remembrance Day events were well attended" and she added: "As a community council, we will be liaising with all event organisers to ensure such community-led events are sustainable in the future.

"We will be reminding organisers of their responsibilities and the importance of appropriate event management, which includes such issues as road closures, risk assessments and supplying their own trained stewards.”