ONE of Scotland’s most prominent aristocrats led an unauthorised march that was at the centre of police fears for public safety.
The Duke of Argyll was at the head of the Inveraray and District Pipe Band’s world championship victory parade and was one of more than 1,000 band supporters who had protested to police after it was refused permission on traffic grounds.
Organisers of the celebration for Inveraray and District Pipe Band’s world championships victory say they managed to reach an agreement with a local police officer to allow the evening parade in the town’s main street.
Police said they were forced to allow the march for “safety reasons” but said it was “regrettable” the right permissions had not been in place. An attempt to get a rethink over the effective ban on the march even went to the Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, who was unable to sanction the event.
Police Scotland said the Inveraray Pipe Band “decided to parade on the A83 through the town without the required authorisation from Transport Scotland”.
The band deny that, saying they intended to march up the pavements but were told by the community council organisers that the police had agreed to the road march.
A Police Scotland spokesman added: “Following publicity, hundreds of spectators had gathered to see the band. As a result, Police Scotland took the decision on this occasion to allow the event to go ahead based on public safety grounds.”
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