ONE of the oldest agricultural shows in the region has been saved from closure.

The North Yorkshire County Show, which traces its roots back almost 160 years, was in danger of folding because of a lack of interest.

Within days of last year's event, the secretary, Brian Taylor, was killed in a car crash and the show committee was also dangerously short on numbers.

However, following a plea for help, a dozen new volunteers have stepped forward to take the show into the 21st Century.

They include husband and wife team Andy and Michelle Dolan who have agreed to jointly take on the job of show secretary.

With other volunteers willing to take on new sections, next year's show now looks set to be bigger than before.

Show chairman Ralph Pattison said last night: "The response we had to our appeals was unbelievable. People have rallied round and saved the day. The show really had reached crisis point and has been saved at the last moment."

Andy Dolan, a civil servant, said: "It would have been a great shame to see such an institution come to an end. We saw the publicity, and after talking to the people involved agreed to give it a try.

"It seemed daunting at first, but a lot of people have come forward to help, not just us, and everybody is going to pull together."

The North Yorkshire County Show dates back to 1841 and was known as the Northallerton Show until the late 1970s when the name was changed to reflect the town's importance to the county.

It attracts crowds of between 8,000 and 16,000 and has run virtually without a break, although three years ago it had to be called off because of atrocious weather conditions.