British Embassy refuse visa to Ghanaian wooodcarvers

A row about visas for overseas guests has hit organisers of the National Eisteddfod in Newport next week.

The British Embassy in Accra is alleged to have refused to issue visas to a group of Ghanaian woodcarvers to allow them to exhibit their work.

The group had been invited to the eisteddfod but claim embassy staff told them they had not heard of the event.

The Artisans Co-operative from the Ashanti region in Ghana received an official invitation from the Welsh company Cadwyn to show their work on the Maes.

It was also going to be an opportunity to meet trade buyers and promote Ghanaian arts and crafts.

But Cadwyn - who promote crafts from Wales and the developing world - claims that the British Embassy in Ghana has turned down the participants visa requests, saying that they has never even heard of a "National Eisteddfod".

Cadwyn said it was furious at the decision and said that unless it is reversed, it will place a sign in their display stating that the government has attempted to undermine efforts to promote African handicrafts.

Cadwyn's company chair, Ffred Ffransis, said: "It is incredible that an embassy which is supposed to be representing Wales has to ask an ordinary Ghanaian what is the National Eisteddfod - one of the largest festivals in Europe."

A spokesman for the Home Office said he was unable to comment on individual cases.

At the beginning of July, organisers of the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen called on the UK Government to be more flexible with performers' visas.

Organisers said that more overseas competitors than usual had to pull out or arrived late as visa problems worsened.

A group of Ukrainian singers, Versalko, which was due to perform at Llangollen staged a sit-in protest at Kiev's British Embassy.

The 28 performers had refused to leave until they received the necessary documents to come to Wales.

They finally received their visas but did not arrive at Llangollen in time to take part in a competition they had entered.