A DECISION to cancel a music festival which last year attracted 10,000 people has been criticised.

Derwentside District Council decided to cancel the Allensford Festival, held every August at Consett, following advice from Ministry of Agriculture (Maff) officials.

Although there has not been a case in the area since April, officials said that the foot-and-mouth risk was too great.

Instead of a major regional festival, music fans might only be able to see bands at a number of smaller events now proposed for the district.

John Kearney, of Northern Recording, the Consett studio which helps to organise the event, in conjunction with the district council, said the festival would return next year.

He said: "The council made the decision to postpone the event last month. From our point of view, the council has been too cautious in postponing because of foot-and-mouth, which was a problem much earlier this year.

"It is an event that has built up over the past eight or nine years. From 200 local people in the first year, it grew to over 10,000 in the pouring rain last year.

"It had really started to establish itself, but this has done it no good at all."

Among the bands in recent years have been North-East rockers Lindisfarne, who played to thousands two years ago.

Music lovers in Derwentside and across the region regard the August Bank Holiday event as a highlight in their calendar.

Steve Howell, the council's head of leisure services, vowed to provide alternative entertainment over the Bank Holiday weekend.

He said: "Maff recommended we postpone the show because it is within a three-kilometre radius of a foot-and-mouth outbreak.

"Also, there is an incubation period of about six months, so having thousands of people stomping about in fields was out of the question.

"Allensford will be back next year and we are looking at trying other smaller attractions over that weekend."

Read more about the foot-and-mouth crisis here.