A NATIONAL charity has refused about £1000 from an Old Colwyn-based event after costumes featuring "deeply offensive" received complaints.

Neonatal patient support charity cuddles Cuddles, has declined the proceeds of the Old Colwyn Fancy dress event, as well as suggesting they be diverted to an equalities charity, after pictures of costumes using 'blackface' were circulated on social media.

Out of more than 50 participants, four chose to use brown makeup to dress as African 'beach sellers' alongside two others who dressed as members of 1980s rap group Run DMC.

In a statement from the charity, a spokesperson writes: "We were grateful to have been chosen as the charitable cause for the annual Old Colwyn fancy dress event this year.

"On Sunday, December 16 it was brought to our attention by multiple members of the public that a number of individuals taking part in the fancy dress event had chosen to wear ‘costumes’ that were highly objectionable, and deeply offensive.

"Whilst we appreciate that the event organisers may not have been involved in this, photographs circulated on social media by the individuals concerned, and their comments accompanying them, have caused considerable distress to the people that have been in touch with us.

"We too were incredibly dismayed to see the photographs.

"As a charity, we totally reject this sort of conduct. We are shocked that anyone would consider this appropriate, and we refuse to be associated with behaviour that is racist, discriminatory or abusive in any way."

The annual event - which has featured participants similarly dressed as the Jamaican bobsled team - as portrayed in Disney film Cool Runnings - raises money on the day, as well as with the sales of a calendar featuring photography of the event.

Old Colwyn residents have taken to public Facebook group 'Residents of Old Colwyn past and present' - which still has a video showing three of the participants in blackface - to debate Cuddles' choice.

The group's moderator Justin Van Marle said: "On one hand you have a bunch of kind hearted lads who’ve tried their best to raise money for a worthy charity. "It’s a charity close to the organiser's heart.

"The blackface costumes weren’t meant to offend in any way whatsoever and you can bet that there were some heavy hearts when they heard the news that the charity put their statement out about the event.

"On the other hand you have a charity that cannot, under any circumstances, be seen to be accepting money from an event that could potentially cause massive offence, even if it’s only to a few people.

"Let’s not forget that the only reason it’s only offensive to a few people is because our locality has an extremely limited ethnic diversity, if you were to attempt blackface in any of the major cities around the UK then it just wouldn’t happen."

.