ENGLAND’S oldest Christmas market has seen its final glass of mulled wine poured after 40 years of festivity.

Lincoln’s Christmas market began in 1982 with only 11 stalls selling handmade gifts, but it had grown massively and was attracting 300,000 people each year.

The event saw the historic cathedral lit in different colours by floodlights and stalls set up selling Christmas wares.

But, after attracting 320,000 people last year, local councillors decided to scrap the event as it was now too popular and had become a risk to public safety.

Council leaders said no amount of money could make the event safe and are now looking to reallocate money on other events.

A motion to bring back the market was rejected by the council on Tuesday leaving local businesses fuming.

A ‘Save Lincoln Christmas market’ Facebook page has been formed with over 2700 members and locals debating whether the event should be kept.

“Solve the problem not cancel the market it’s like people cannot be bothered to sit down and work the problem out,” posted Neil Crowther.

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Why do they allow lots and lots of people to gather on the night of the Christmas light switch on but not for a Christmas market, it’s just bizarre,” posted Emma Room.

Rachel Whittaker, a photographer in the Uphill area, told MailOnline: ‘It is so sad, people can’t believe it, they’re astonished.

“It’s bizarre. Other places would fall over themselves to have a December weekend where hundreds of thousands of people are walking around your city, eating, drinking, shopping, having a brilliant time – and spending their money.

“And we are saying we don’t want that? It makes no sense. This is the very thing that makes Lincoln so special at Christmas,

“The city council’s alternative events programme does not and will never replace the Christmas Market,” the motion put forward by Conservative group leader Tom Dyer said to the BBC.

Lincon’s MP, Tory Karl McCartney, said the council had voted against the majority of its constituents and referred to its leader as  “Ebenezer Scrooge”.

Ric Metcalfe, leader of the Labour-run authority, said: “We understand some people’s disappointment that Lincoln Christmas Market is no more.

“However, we simply could not continue delivering an event that has been deemed a significant risk to public safety,” he said.