The prizes you will never see Hull Fair stalls handing out

Anyone over a certain age will have at some stage walked away from Hull Fair clutching a plastic bag containing a goldfish.

There was always that worry that the polythene would have a leak in it - the bags could often be seen dripping, with varying levels of water inside, where they were hung around the stalls as prizes - and that your new pet fish might not make it home. Times have, thankfully, moved on.

Cuddly toys are now more the thing, reflecting the most popular characters of the moment, as rewards on fairground sideshows. Hull outlawed the giving away of goldfish in the mid-1990s, though the practice is still legal in parts of the UK.

However, when it comes to other sorts of prizes, Hull City Council sets strict rules on what cannot be sold or given away at Hull Fair. The reason for the strict approach is to ensure the safety of fairgoers and to discourage antisocial behaviour.

Some of the restricted items will not come as a surprise; others may not be as obvious. The list is handed to stallholders as part of the Hull Fair terms and conditions, a council document that sets out everything from the timetable for the fair, to fire precautions. The items that cannot handed out as prizes include:

• Air horns
• Alcohol
• Drugs and drug-related items
• Flashing dummies
• Laser pens
• Silly string
• Guns, including imitations
• Tobacco / vaping paraphernalia
• Imitation knives or swords
• Other dangerous items, such as pen knives, catapults and even drones.

Stallholders could face a fine of up to £2,000 if they break the rules. The Yorkshire Showmen’s Guild has previously said it takes the list very seriously.

A spokesperson said: “Technically, most of these items are not illegal but we take these rules very seriously. We enforce them and will take internal disciplinary action which could result in a fine of up to £2,000 for stallholders who sell these items.

“The prizes we do hand out are the same designated suppliers that provide prizes for all the theme parks and fairgrounds across the country. They must all be labelled and stallholders must have a knowledge of their origin."

The traditional goldfish is not included on the list, but there is a council by-law that bans their sale in Hull. Many fairs will not sell them anyway as they are frowned upon due to animal welfare issues and campaigning by the RSPCA against pets as prizes.