A troupe of Morris dancers who abandoned traditional black face paint over fears of potential racism claims have performed painted green for the first time in 500 years.
Silurian Border Morrismen said they voted to scrap the tradition following the UK's Black Lives Matter movement.
Yesterday the group performed their English folk dance routine to the public in Ledbury, Herefordshire, with their faces painted dark green.
Morris dancer Chris Mulvey, 71, said most of the group would have continued with the black disguise but felt it was the right time to change.
He said: "We've had no direct comments from anyone, we were not anticipating any antagonism from the public at all - and that has been proved.
"They just want to see people having a laugh and making fun of themselves.
"We're not taking the mick out of anyone. If anybody is offended we do not want to add to that.
"We just want to come out and perform the dance we have been dancing - it has always just been based on a visual disguise."
Chris claimed the original disguise was related to a beggars' tactic to avoid identification by police.
"We had the controversy of racism, so we changed - we don't want any confusion on that matter," he said.
"I personally would have liked to continue with the original black face, but I am not worried about changing to green.
"We just want to concentrate on the dancing and the element of disguise."
Residents watching the performance yesterday had mixed opinions about scrapping the tradition, which dates back to the 1400s.
Mum-of-one Terri Fowler, 32, said: "I understand that a lot of people cherish British tradition but I think this is the right call.
"In this day and age, you can't just go around with black face whether it be for fancy dress or whatever - so why should Morris dancers be exempt from this?"
But another resident, who did not want to be named, added: "I don't agree with scrapping a tradition that goes back hundreds of years on the premise that it might or might not upset somebody.
"Surely you put it into the context of the time and back then there were no racist connotations to it - and that certainly isn't the intent of Morris dancers now.
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"We are in danger of losing our identity at the expense of appeasing a few snowflakes and I don't think that is healthy at all."
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: UK News