BRIDGWATER Carnival has issued a statement after one of the special cups from the Bridgwater Carnival Concerts was mistakenly given to an act who was not eligible to win it.

The Bert Snook Rose Bowl is annually presented to the best front of curtain act under 17 years old, as deemed by the judges.

A spokesman for Bridgwater Carnival said: “Unfortunately as part of the official results, the cup was awarded to Sam Howes, who had turned 17 years old in the Summer and therefore wasn’t eligible to win the cup (in line with the carnival concert competition rules).

“As soon as we discovered the oversight we contacted both Sam, and the act who should have been announced as the winners (Fox King Dance Academy), and we have since met up with them to explain what had happened and how the mistake occurred.”

The result has now been corrected, and Fox King Dance Academy are the winners of the Bert Snook Rose Bowl for 2019.

“We would like to take this opportunity to unreservedly apologise to both Sam and Fox King Dance Academy for our unfortunate oversight and for any distress it has caused them.

“We appreciate this will be a disappointment to Sam but it was a genuine mistake.”

Sam didn’t come away empty-handed however, having won the Judges Cup for best single vocalist.