A hugely popular seven-day Kent festival has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Organisers of the annual Broadstairs Folk Week - which has been running for more than half-a-century - say they have taken the decision to call off the event "with a heavy heart and a certain degree of inevitability".

The traditional celebration of folk music and dance has expanded to become one of east Kent's most popular festivals, incorporating about 70 events a day along with a wide range of stalls, and attracting both visitors and those local to Broadstairs.

This year's line-up had included a long list of artists, due at appear at venues including Queens Road Baptist Centre, Crampton Museum and The Pavilion on the Sands between August 7 and 14.

But in a post on Facebook, organisers today revealed the event will not be going ahead.

"We have had an unbroken run of 54 years of this wonderful event but the time has come to accept that, given the current situation with Covid-19 and the ongoing uncertainty that is affecting all our lives, we cannot commit to planning or running the festival this year," they wrote.

"Our planning and preparation activities take all year but they ramp up significantly in the four months prior to the festival.

"As this coincides with the expected peak of the virus infection in the UK, it is impossible for staff and volunteers to work on festival preparations while adhering to the government guidelines and keeping everyone safe.

"This is also the time when we would normally raise most of the revenue that enables us to run the festival and, with the current restrictions, that revenue is unlikely to materialise."

Organisers say they will contact anyone who has already bought tickets or paid deposits for craft fair stalls over the next week.

"Folk Week has first-hand experience of the resourcefulness, talents and dedication of the musicians, volunteers and friends that has kept the festival alive over all these years and supported us in some difficult times," they continued.

"We are sure that this spirit will continue into the future.We are ever hopeful that we can all meet up again in 2021. Thank you for you continuing support - stay safe and keep well."

For more information, visit Broadstairs Folk Week's website.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

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