STEVE DOWNES Travelling is in their blood, but a 20-metre journey is making one circus troupe's blood boil.Circus Mondao is pitching its big top on a field at Beeston Regis, near Sheringham, for a month-long stay from August 1.

STEVE DOWNES

Travelling is in their blood, but a 20-metre journey is making one circus troupe's blood boil.

Circus Mondao is pitching its big top on a field at Beeston Regis, near Sheringham, for a month-long stay from August 1.

However, a licensing laws mix up means the tent and all the equipment will have to be dismantled after 15 days - and put up again on the other side of the field.

Passers-by will probably think the circus staff are a bunch of clowns, but for ringmistress Petra Jackson it is no laughing matter.

Ms Jackson, who previously told the EDP how she had run away from her Yarmouth home to join the circus at the age of 16, said: "It's a complete nightmare. We are going to have to perform for two weeks on one half of the field, then take down the tent and move to the other side of the field for the second fortnight.

"The area that we perform on is classified as a 'premises', and we are only allowed by law to do 15 days on that area before moving.

"People are going to think that we are mad."

Ms Jackson said the venue was belatedly added to their tour schedule after two other venues dropped out, which did not give them time to apply for a full licence.

She said the licensing act, which became law in November 2005, was to blame for the "crazy" situation. They had suffered red tape problems elsewhere including having to press ahead with one show in Suffolk despite it being strictly against the law - because while their licence said the event was at Long Melford Hall, it had not said it was on the green.

"What we need is a licence for the circus itself - like a theatre - rather than loads of different venues. The extra administration is causing problems - but the show must go on," she added.

But Tony Gent, licensing team leader at North Norfolk District Council, said the problem had arisen because Circus Mondao had failed to apply for a premises licence.

He said: "If they had paid for a premises licence, they could've stayed put for the whole month. Instead, we've done our best to accommodate them with a temporary licence. Because there's a road down the middle of the field, which effectively makes it two fields, we've given them permission to move from one side to the other - this was the best result I could come up with at short notice."

Circus Mondao is on Cookie's field from August 1-29, with shows at 3pm and 7pm. There are no shows on August 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, with one show at 3pm on August 29.