Race row at Cornish festival after pub landlord and his friend 'black up' as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams

Two friends have been branded racist after 'blacking up' as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams for a carnival parade.

Kevin Stevens, 50, a local pub landlord, and his friend Jason Luke, 31, a builder, covered themselves in dark fake tan, brown face paint and afro wigs to join a tennis-themed carnival float.

They put on women's sports gear and were photographed posing enthusiastically with tennis rackets at the procession in Truro last weekend. Mr Stevens also sported a pair of fake breasts for the event.

Since the event they have been lambasted by spectators and carnival organisers, who called their costumes 'inappropriate', 'out-of-date and offensive'.

The pair have denied that they are racist and apologised for any offence - though one of the two said he 'doesn't get the racial side of it' and characterised the criticism as 'political correctness gone mad.'

He told MailOnline: 'I'm deeply upset by the story - at the end of the day we were trying to support a local carnival that had died a death and we're trying to revive.

'We're trying to raise a bit of money for children with cancer - a whole bunch of us went as famous tennis players and I really don't see the issue.

'Quite often me might do things a bit close to the bone - but in this case it didn't even enter my head. I don't get it.'

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