Two participants at the traditional Cheese Rolling event on Cooper’s Hill near Brockworth were injured and taken to hospital on Bank Holiday Monday. The event, a popular and long-standing local tradition, had been officially labelled unsafe by authorities prior to the races.
The incident occurred during the first race at noon, causing a delay while medical personnel tended to the injured individual. The first race was won by German YouTuber Tom Kopke, marking his second victory. Thousands of spectators gathered to watch seven races throughout the day at the iconic site.
Before the event, the Tewkesbury Borough Safety Advisory Group (SAG) expressed concerns about the risk of a serious incident with multiple casualties. While still allowing the cheese rolling to continue, they urged participants and spectators to be mindful of the considerable dangers involved.
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A spokesperson from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust reported a significant emergency response: “We were called at 12:17 on Monday, 26 May, to an incident at Cooper’s Hill, Gloucestershire. We deployed five double-crewed land ambulances, an air ambulance, an operations officer, a doctor, a first responder, and the hazardous area response team."
Two patients were transported by land ambulance to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The location’s challenging access, just off the A46, complicated emergency response efforts.
In a pre-event statement, Councillor Murray Stewart, Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environmental Services, acknowledged the uniqueness of the tradition but stressed safety concerns: “Cheese rolling at Cooper’s Hill is a unique tradition in our county, and we have no desire to stop it. However, since the event lacks an official organiser and necessary safety documentation and plans have not been submitted, the Safety Advisory Group has been left with no choice but to declare the event unsafe. We have a duty to inform the public accordingly."