A town church fundraising event featuring a talk from a retired army general has been cancelled at the last minute because of a ‘perceived security threat’.
The Friends of St Chad’s Church had organised a lecture to be given by former Major General Andrew Farquhar CBE tomorrow evening, Friday, at Shrewsbury High School. But the event, which had seen more than 100 £10 tickets sold, has been called off because of fears anti-war protesters would target it.
The talk, entitled Fallujah, Iraq – counter-insurgency at its best or worst?, was going to raise vital funds for a £1.4 million appeal needed for urgent repairs needed to the civic church.
Major General Farquhar retired last year from the Green Howards. He had been stationed in Baghdad as part of his service in Iraq. But John Patrick, chairman of The Friends of St Chad’s, said they were acting on advice and not going ahead with the talk. He said: “We received information that due to the speaker and the nature of the talk the event might be targeted by anti-war protesters. There is a possible security threat and our insurance wouldn’t cover that.”
Ticket holders are asked to contact the church office for a refund 01743 365478.
