Missy tour halted by bus shortage

Missy Elliot's UK gigs were due to begin on Saturday at Wembley Arena

Rap star Missy Elliot has cancelled some tour dates in the UK and Europe because there are not enough buses to accommodate her entourage.

A delay in getting stage equipment from a recent show in New Zealand to Europe was also blamed for the cancellations in Sweden, Belgium, Ireland and the UK.

The Sweden show on Friday and all four UK dates are among those called off.

Elliot said she was "disappointed". Gigs in Amsterdam on 26 June and Paris on 27 June will still go ahead.

A statement from Elliot's record company, Warner Music, said there were not enough buses "due to the unusual number of artists presently touring Europe".

Refund

The Hip Hop Don't Stop Tour was also due to feature artists Kelis and Talib Kweli.

Warner said the French and Dutch dates had not been cancelled because they had changed the set.

"We have been able to work out a special set for these particular festivals that we believe the fans will truly enjoy," the statement read.

Kelis was also due to perform

It said Elliot planned to return to those countries that would miss out this time round.

"Missy Elliott is disappointed that she will not able to perform in these cities and looks forward to coming back and performing for her fans in the future," it said.

Tickets for the cancelled concerts, including those in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin, are refundable at the point of purchase.

Elliot is one of hip hop's best known female stars. She has won many accolades, including two Grammy awards, and five Lady Of Soul/Soul Train Awards.

Music magazine Rolling Stone has named her Best Female Hip Hop Artist of the Year twice in the past five years.