Star’s front row seat for sporting history
- Local newspaper week
Band sparks mall frenzy
Monday 4th May 2009, 2:50PM BST.
Telford Shopping Centre bosses were today forced to temporarily close the mall after thousands of people crammed in to watch performances by stars of Britain’s Got Talent and the X Factor.
Dancing duo Signature were forced to cut back their 10-minute slot to just one song as the centre reached bursting point.
The frenzied scenes started this morning when X Factor duo Same Difference performed their act before doing a meet and greet in Sherwood Square.
Some fans today claimed they feared for their safety and had to leave before watching either of the performances.
Tracey Hadley, spokeswoman for the shopping centre, said they had been forced to pull the plug on Signature’s full performance for health and safety reasons.
She said: “Signature are just doing one song – they were supposed to be on for 10 minutes.
“It’s very, very popular and obviously we are going to have a lot of disappointed people and we do not want that. That is why we have made this decision.
Security
“We have got security stopping people coming into the mall. Once they have finished we have asked people to clear the area.”
The centre was due to re-open as normal once the performances had finished, she added.
Earlier parents claimed there was chaos in the centre as fans jostled for the best position. Staff at Debenhams were also forced to pull down some of the shutters as people spilled into the store.
One man was seen lifting his child above his head while it was still in his pushchair, to keep it out of harm’s way.
Amanda Millward, 45, from Aqueduct, Telford, said she was forced to leave the shopping centre before Signature’s performance as she feared she and her 10-year-old son Jack would be injured in the crowds.
“Me and my son were forced against the wall – there were hundreds upon hundreds there. They haven’t accounted for the number of people who have turned up.
“The police were there and the security officers but there was no organisation,” Mrs Millward said. “It’s absolute chaos.”
By Kirsty Smallman
Sponsored Links
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Great planning by bosses of telford town centre, keep up the good work.
Report abuse
Well what did you expect ???
Report abuse
Hi,
I went to telford town centre to see same difference and signature and was looking forward to seeing them.
I didnt manage to make it in time for same differences first performance so thought that there was another one on later which the internet has been saying and the posters around telford.
But when i got to telford town centre all i knew was that they were signing and then going which was a let down. I did manage to speak to them but it was a real let down.
Then we got told by security in telford town centre that signature were not going to be on stage due to the number of people there, But they should have known that because they were big stars there would be loads of people there to see them perform.
I was there from 11.00 and standing in the crowd waiting till signature performed which was alright, and then laods of people who appeard from no where pushed in front of me Im only 5’3 so couldnt see over them and therefore missed signatures performance! So i am writing to complain, town should have made sure that they had catered properly for the performances and signing as the queues for autographs werent going down.
Yours faithfully Rebecca Athersmith age 16
Report abuse
i think it was very unorganised and a complete shambles, the town centre should have either had it outside or barriers as there was a hugh health and safety issue which could have caused either someone been seriously ingured or causing fights from what i witnessed. it took me 20mins (from getting in town at 11am)to get through that area and i didnt want to watch the performances.
Report abuse
hi
like watching same diifference
are same difference going to come back again because i want then to come back i can get there autograph from them
Report abuse
So that’s how to overcrowd a plastic shopping centre……stick a few dillusional wannabes in front of a microphone & the gullible will come flocking like flies around a pile of manure.
Report abuse
Are the dissappointed fans going to get their car parking fees refunded?
Report abuse
Yesterday the security was unorganised and having ago at every single person, saying they cut the queue and splitting families up saying half of them pushed in and the others was in the queue. When me and my fiancee was at the front of the queue as we have been waiting for ages The securiy said that ” I pushed in the queue” even though i was with my Fiancee They said that she didnt Cut the queue but i did even though we was holding hands together with each other since we got there. The security said to me and 2 families of people well half of their family that we pushed the queue when we never did. We wasnt able to get SAME DIFFERENCE autograph the security stopped me but let her go on stage, But she refused cause it wasnt fair on me.
My Conclusion to the way i was mistreated and my fiancee getting pushed over my security I am Making a Formal complaint on the Reliance security of telford town centre Shopping centre for mistreating the fans and public on 4th May (bank holiday monday)
Report abuse
I was disgusted with the lack of organisation how members of the public were not hurt i dont know , i feared for my children i thought i must get them out of here but was unable to move , mums were shouting out for people to watch there kids , others who didnt even want to watch it were shouting and getting angry as they could not get through , the stage was that small hundreds never even saw the performance , who ever sorted this event needs sacking as they broke that many health & safety issues its unreal , i for one will be making a formal complaint , Telford can do better than to put our lives in danger when the fact remains there were more suitable places for this performance , does someone have to be killed first in order for them to understand just how wrong it really was , someone needs the sack .
Report abuse
When are the telford town management going to realise its a shopping centre and not an entertainments venue.
Report abuse
Are some of the previous comments actually written in English? They are so riddled with errors, I think it goes to show just what type of idiot enjoys seeing these reality TV ‘stars’. And I agree with EJ, in that it is a shopping centre and not an entertainment venue. It would have made far more sense to have an event like this out in the Town Park (assuming, of course, that you have to have it at all)
Report abuse
EJ: TTC has always incorporated entertainment since its inception.
I remember seeing Rod Hudd and Emu, and that ventriloquist with Nookie the bear whose lips moved. The little robot from Star Wars was also in Carrefour.
There was never riots then – whats happened to self discipline?
Report abuse
Idiots on stage, organised by idiots and watched by idiots – mildly amusing!
Report abuse
Come on lets not get too worked up over it, next people will be campaigning to ban santa’s grotto from the centre
Report abuse
So we are all idiots are we KarenK? I took my 2 young daughters there as they are both big SD fans. Who incidentally may not be huge stars, but are two genuinely nice people who sing harmless music, which is a lot better than some of the nonsense that appears in the charts these days. I myself was quite looking forward to seeing signature who I thought were quite an original act. I don’t see how that can possibly make us idiots? The idiots were those who ‘organised’ the complete and utter chaos that was put on yesterday. If a fire had broken out in the TC yesterday, there would have been a death toll of immense proportions. It was dangerous and extremely scary to many, many people. The problem was, that once you were in the midst of it, it was almost impossible to move. And there were no clear escape routes. Heads should roll for such clear flouting of H&S regulations, and such an event should not take place within the centre again. There is a HUGE park outside which could quite easily have been used, but was that too sensible an option?
Report abuse
I’m with Y Mab on that one – Ban Santa, he’s to blame !
Report abuse
Lighten-up people, let the great un-washed be entertained.
IMHO this is simply a wake-up call for organisers to actually to their job and organise.
Have to agree with Colin, some of these kids need to spend a little more time at school and less time trying to get the autograph of “stars” performing at a shopping centre.
If anyone else brings up health and safety someone might be needed to talk me down ! I am going for a quick run with scissors.
Report abuse
Well done to the numptys of Telford. If the town doesn’t have a bad enough name already as the chaviest place in Shropshire, all the idiots turn up to hero worship, a group of people, who are no more worthy of their praise, than the clouds in the sky.
Reality TV is directly responsible for the rise in ‘I wanna be famous’ young people who are singularly incapable of stringing a coherent sentence together, and pin all their life’s dreams on Simon Cowell.
When it comes to reality TV, we should all follow the Groucho Marx quote, and although he was talking about politicians, it still applies. “Never vote, it only encourages them”!
Report abuse
Lucy – Who’s Rod Hudd?
Report abuse
Tim: Is it Roy Hull and Emu?
Shrops: I think you will find that Groucho Marx’s classic TV quote is “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
Report abuse
As a professional musician based in the so-called culture zone that is Telford, I would like to suggest to the Town Centre management that, for a fraction of the cost of this event, they could make a positive contribution to the musical life of the town by promoting a series of appearances by the many fine ensembles of all genres in the area, all which are finding it incresaingly difficult to perform due to the dire lack of local venues.
Report abuse
Lucy.
I think you will find, I know which quote I intended to use, unless you are psychic of course?
Also I think you will find it was Rod Hull and Emu.
Report abuse
Shrops, Don’t abuse others just because they have different tastes and opinions to you ! Im sure many many people would find your intrests, whatever they are very boring.. each to their own numpty !
Report abuse
As it happens, Shrops, I am psyciatric.
Report abuse
I’m guessing that the TC bosses could show the HSE a risk assessment for this event with plans in place for any emergencys??
Report abuse
Telford – I bet they can now.
I am happy I don’t go up there anymore except unfortunate necessary times which remind me why I avoid the place.
Report abuse