AN ancient annual ceremony is under threat because teenagers fear becoming the rushbearing queen will harm their "street cred".

Last year only one girl was put forward to be Urswick rushbearing queen and this year it is feared there might not be any.

"It used to be a big thing and girls used to get terribly excited about it but children have changed," said Lynda Perry, of Urswick Church Worship Group, which helps organise the autumn ceremony.

"It's no longer the exciting thing it was and with concern about street cred and boys they don't want to be seen walking through the village in a white dress."

The chance to become queen is traditionally limited to girls from Great Urswick, Little Urswick, Stainton and Adgarley.

But organisers are considering widening the field and making all the pupils at Low Furness School eligible by turning them into honorary Urswick citizens.

They are also trying to lower the age range so queens will be nine or ten instead of ten or 11.

At the moment they might be picked in their last term at primary school but by the time of the ceremony they have already gone to Ulverston Victoria High School and are becoming more concerned about image.

"Rushbearing is a very ancient ceremony and it would be a shame to lose it," said Mrs Perry.

"I know many elderly villagers find what we are proposing hard to accept but they don't want to lose the ceremony either.

Somehow it has to move on a little bit to keep going."