A WEST Devon resident is to challenge the event licensing processes that he claims are stifling charities and community group fundraising.

Richard Searight wants to see an end to the 'crippling legal regulations' that people face when putting on a fundraising event.  He proposes replacing the myriad of forms and fines that usually put people off holding events with a simple permanent licence.

His campaign is being backed by West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox.

Mr Searight, who lives in Tavistock, claims paperwork and forms are now required for everything from charging for a glass of wine in church to running the village dog show.

He plans to run legal protest events all over the UK when charity cheques will be torn up. 

Richard Searight said last summer he had tried to stage a community event but it was destroyed by the 'regulations, licences and miles of red tape'. 

Mr Searight said: 'It was then I realised the same legislation is killing thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of other community events every year.

'If they want to sell a glass of wine at the back of the church, play "My Way" over the sound system, put on a panto, have a firework party with refreshments, they have to get multiple licences or dodge around them — or simply break the law.'

Mr Searight said the Temporary Events Notice licence form was ten pages long and difficult to fill in correctly.

'It became clear that the only way to hold our event and stay legal was to exclude the community and not raise money — in other words hold a completely useless event.

'Hence this year we are Tearing Up Cheques for charity. It is legal because it is useless,' Mr Searight said.

He said it was crucial that a simple, permanent, community events licence be created which is designed to encourage community events, not regulate them out of existence. He said the vast majority of events were breaking the law because they had not complied with one or other of the licences they should have lodged.

The first of these events was held in Devon at the beginning of the month.

West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox, who is supporting the campaign, was given a ride in a vintage aeroplane and then participated in the tearing up of a cheque that, were it not for the rules, might have been donated to charity.

Geoffrey Cox said: 'Time and time again I am told by local village hall committees, charities, carnival committees, agricultural shows and other essential institutions in our rural communities of the vast and increasing burden of intimidating regulation and bureaucracy through which they have to negotiate every year in order to stage the much-loved local events which are so integral to our rural way of life.

'Any simplification and reduction of this burden would be a huge relief to those on whose continuing willingness to give up their time for others our communities depend.'