A street party to mark the anniversary of Birmingham's tornado, which caused an estimated £25million-worth of damage, has been cancelled after organisers were branded insensitive for seeking to celebrate the disaster.

The event was to take place in Balsall Heath - one of the worst affected areas - this Friday and Saturday, and feature a funfair and bouncy castle in Sparkbrook; Lady-pool Road was to be closed off for traffic and devoted to street stalls and other entertainment.

However, the celebration has been put on hold after residents argued it would have struck the wrong tone on the anniversary of the tornado that left 19 people injured and damaged 1,000 properties.

Instead, a later event is being proposed which, according to Birmingham City Council, will "coincide with the festivals of Eid, Divali and Christmas".

Naved Syed, organiser of the aborted street party, said: "They complained that there were too many people traumatised by it and they said we shouldn't celebrate it.

"But it wasn't about celebrating the tornado. It was about highlighting it and saying there are still problems that need addressing.

"The idea was to draw attention to it and let the politicians know they still have a responsibility to the people."

Police, the army and navy, local schools and Mosques had agreed to join in the party that would have started on Friday - exactly a year after the 130mph whirlwind hit.

Mr Syed, who was appointed by the Ladypool Business Association to get the project off the ground, added: "I am very disappointed the residents have created this friction between the traders. The idea was for it to be a joint venture."

Dick Atkinson, chief executive of the Balsall Heath Forum which represents residents in the area, maintained the timing of the party was inappropriate.

"By all means celebrate, but not on the day," he said. "On the day, we should mark it quietly and in a sombre way. Residents were very grateful to the traders for thinking about how to mark the occasion.

"We don't want to argue with them - they are part of the community."

Birmingham City Council is now working with the community to find an alternative date and theme for a celebration in the area.

A spokesman for the authority said: "The traders have decided that an event later in the year to coincide with the festivals of Eid, Divali and Christmas to generate activity in this area around these festivals would be a more appropriate time."

The socially deprived areas of Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath were the areas worst affected by the freak storm last July.

Within minutes, the tornado had cut a huge swathe across south Birmingham, ripping roofs off, sucking out trees and blowing over cars.

The tornado caused an estimated £25 million worth of damage to homes and businesses in Kings Heath, Moseley, Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath. Alder Road in Balsall Heath along with Birchfield Road were the worst affected streets.

Last month The Birmingham Post reported how 11 homes on Alder Road remained unoccupied and a virtual building site almost a year after the event.

Birmingham City Council was criticised for failing to contribute to a hardship fund set up by local charity, The Birmingham Foundation. A cheque for £1,000 handed over by council leader Mike Whitby was condemned as coming too late in the day.

The authority was further criticised after it emerged the cash came from rent it earned from scaffolding put up around affected homes.