THE organisers of what promises to be the country’s largest privately organised celebration of St George’s Day today called on bosses to give staff the day off to celebrate their patron saint – as it was revealed Cornish workers had a holiday for the little known Saint Piran.

Dozens of workers in the town were recently handed the day off by employers in an unofficial move to celebrate St Piran’s Day. St Piran was a sixth century saint who discovered tin in Cornwall and became the patron saint of tin mining.

Now the organisers of the Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival have appealed to employers across the UK to follow suit and support the festival, helping to make it an unofficial day off.

Councillor John Coombes, leader of Fylde Council, and one of the organisers of the event, said: “If Cornwall can celebrate a little know Saint through the generosity of employers, there is absolutely no reason why businesses across the UK can’t do the same thing.

“With the Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival we have a perfect opportunity to celebrate the day, but also to raise funds for charity.

“We see the festival as a way to honour soldiers who may have been injured in the line of duty, through the funds we are pledging to do for the Army Benevolent Fund.

“I would call on any business leaders reading this to put their hands in their pockets and dig deep for such a good cause.”