Unofficial cheese rolling competition goes forward in Britain

GLOUCESTER, England, May 27 (UPI) -- Cheese-rolling fans rolled lightweight foam recreations of the dairy product down a British hill for an unofficial continuation of a traditional event.

The Cooper's Hill Cheese Roll near Gloucester, England, dates back to the 1800s and traditionally involved rolling an 8-pound wheel of Double Gloucester down the steep hill, but the official version was canceled in 2010 due to the dangers involved and the unofficial version that took over substituted a wheel of cheese-resembling foam for the actual cheese, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

Organizers said about 2,000 spectators watched about a dozen athletes participate in the races, which involve people chasing the wheel down the hill and the first person to grab the "cheese" is declared the winner.

Gloucestershire Police warned organizers could be held legally liable for any injuries during the event.

"We felt, and still feel, that it is important that those who, by law, could be constituted as organizers of the event are aware of the responsibilities that come with it so that they can make an informed decision about their participation," a police spokeswoman said. "The same information was given to others who could be deemed as 'organizers.'"