What makes the chaotic cheese rolling event so special?

Few British traditions capture worldwide attention like the annual cheese roll down Cooper's Hill in Gloucester.

In recent years, the event has become hugely popular with world-famous YouTubers like IShowSpeed taking part, but also being taken to hospital as a result.

"I didn't have a clue who he was but his bodyguard was huge, the kids from the crowd were all cheering for him," said unofficial organiser Kyla Hill.

But despite this, there are annual warnings from the authorities that emergency services won't be able to cope if a major incident involving multiple casualties occurs.

Even Hill admitted: "Everyone who speaks to me about it, I tell them 'don't run it'."

In short: the event is quite risky.

The extreme angle of the hill, and the speed at which people fling themselves down it while chasing a cheese mean there are frequent injuries. Last year the air ambulance had to land nearby and two people were taken to hospital.

Most large-scale events coordinate with local councils on how to run safely, and councils insist on things like public liability insurance and event management plans before permission is given.

But the cheese roll is so historic, and popular, that it goes ahead regardless, and entry is done at participants' own risk.

Tewkesbury Borough Council's lead member for environmental services Murray Stewart said: "The cheese rolling at Cooper's Hill is a unique tradition in our county and we have no desire to stop it.

"However, without an official organiser, no formal safety plans have been put in place to detail how members of the public will be protected.

"Without this information, the Safety Advisory Group has been left with no alternative but to declare the event unsafe and share this position with the public."

In previous years, ambulances and rapid response vehicles have struggled to access the hill because of the numbers of people there, and the rural nature of the site.

The event is mainly organised, albeit unofficially, by Kyla Hill, who got involved 15 years ago.

"The authorities will always say they have no contact with us but I do speak to them," she said.

"They say they don't want to get involved but they do liaise with me.

"I think the authorities have to publish this warning for their own backs," she added.

But the cheese roll is also a boost for the local economy, as Hill said local hotels and B&Bs are often booked up, and nearby pubs also make a lot of money from it.

Hill said she was feeling more "positive" about this year's event as recent rain will mean the ground is softer and people won't suffer serious injuries.

Self-confessed super fan Billy Kidd, from Bath, first attended in 2008.

"I like how it is traditional and people keep going no matter what.

"I cry when I'm there out of joy, I love people just getting together for something so absurd, the energy is vibrant.

"I think people will do it no matter what, and it is at your own risk.

"Having said that I did once see a guy with his leg turned backwards one year, but he was up for it," she said.

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