THE future of a much-loved St Ives Easter tradition for sailing toy boats looks safe after Cornwall Council agreed to overhaul the weed-infested pond.

There was disappointment and anger in the town last Good Friday when the popular model yacht regatta at Consols Pool was cancelled for the first time in a century.

Funding to clear tonnes of thick weed was cut and a last-minute offer by an environmental group fell through after health and safety concerns.

But with a new action group formed and a five-year deal with the landowner on the table, the boating event looks set to return as a regular fixture.

Mandy Boyd, chairman of the Consols Pond Association, said she was cautiously optimistic but added that work could not begin until a new Environment Agency sluice gate was up and running.

"I am still hopeful but slightly worried that timescales are slipping and now it looks like January," she said.

"Cornwall Council will then spend a week clearing tonnes of silt and gravel and hopefully the pond will re-establish itself with wildlife returning."

The tradition began in the early 1900s, when fisherman and children sailed model boats in the town's harbour.

It is thought to be a gesture to the old seafaring communities which used to launch miniature boats in the hope of ensuring safe passage for mariners.

A five-year agreement has now been signed with land owner Simon Rogers and decking is planned to make it an all-year-round attraction.