A CIRCUS will have its tent blessed by a bishop in a bid to put visitors at ease amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Old Roman Catholic Archbishop of Selsey, Father Jerome Lloyd, will sprinkle holy water by Zippos Circus’s big top at a special service tomorrow.

“He’s from a very strict Catholic order and he still does services in Latin,” according to circus director Martin Burton.

The circus came to Hove Park last week, bringing with it a band of elastic tumblers, fearless bikers and Czech knife-throwers.

But it’s been a hard time for the industry.

Circuses have been shut for months during the pandemic, and they are having to do everything they can to coax visitors back.

Mr Burton, 67, said: “The bishop’s coming to bless it at about 11am. It will offer some reassurance that the circus is a safe place to go.

“He going to sprinkle a bit of holy water. It’s something we do every year, but this time, it’s a coronavirus blessing, to seek everybody’s safety.”

Mr Burton founded Zippos Circus 47 years ago. He has seen recessions come and go, but said the company had never gone through anything as damaging as the Covid-19 crisis.

“Unlike some businesses, we weren’t just told to scale back – we were completely shut,” he said.

Next week, daredevil motorcyclists will perform high velocity stunts on the Globe of Death, there will be “elastic” tumblers from Kenya, comic antics from French funnyman Emilion and nail-biting knife-throwing from the Czech Republic.

Back by popular demand is Brazilian showman Paulo Dos Santos, a multi-talented comic, acrobat and martial artist who stands at just over a metre tall.

There will be foot juggling from France, hand-balancing from the talented Garcia Family, and an upside down “skywalking” act.

The circus has also come up against another major hurdle.

Mr Burton said the coronavirus crisis has been a nightmare when it comes to sorting out visas and helping staff from all over the world get access to government rescue packages.

Circus performers have been hit hard, and many have struggled to make ends meet.

Mr Burton hopes the blessing will be a time for everyone to come together for the circus – which will also be adopting more traditional coronavirus safety measures, including extra ventilation, PPE for staff, deep cleans and temperature scans.

The circus will be here until Sunday. You can book tickets at www.zippos.co.uk