A 450-year-old tradition of knocking heads has been staged after a health and safety row prompted an insurance U-turn, writes SWNS reporter Filipa Gaspar.

Months of controversy surrounded the future of The Beating of the Bounds with fears the tradition would die out. But the ceremony in Helston, which dates back to Queen Elizabeth’s charter of 1585, returned on May 28 after an insurance U-turn.

The future of the tradition was in jeopardy after Helston Town Council proposed a safer method in response to "safety concerns".

Following a debate, the committee unanimously voted to recommend that participants will now have the choice to kneel and touch their head on the stone, or to hit the stone with sticks.

Those willing to take part on the ceremony were lifted to have their heads gently tapped three times on a sod of turf placed on top of the boundary marker.

The staging of the event follows a long running row. In October last year the council said it had received legal advice that it could no longer continue to organise the event under its current insurers.

In a statement released then, the council said: "Unfortunately, the council has received legal advice that, if we continue the tradition of lifting people at Beating of the Bounds, we will no longer be covered by insurance.

"We are actively seeking alternative insurers to see if we can secure coverage for this aspect of the event.”