No refunds at cancelled festival

Status Quo were to have enjoyed top billing at the festival

A music festival in Wiltshire has been cancelled because of poor ticket sales.

The Tidworth Festival was due to have taken place in the town over the weekend of 25 and 26 July.

The company behind the event, Community Dynamix, which is in administration, said ticket sales had not generated enough money to cover set-up costs.

The veteran rock and roll group Status Quo had been in line to headline the festival. No refunds are being offered to people who have bought tickets.

In the statement Baz Reilly, of Community Dynamix, said: "We are all devastated.

School funds

"Lots of people have bought tickets in advance but unfortunately the sales did not cover the outlays.

"The aim of the festival was to generate funds for local schools and community projects and I would like to express my thanks to all the sponsors and people throughout the community who strived to make the festival a success."

Jane Barbour, who runs fitness classes and who had booked a stand at the festival, said she was not impressed.

I am pretty gutted... you rely on these people to provide the service they say they are going to Sharon Seymour

"I think that is pretty bad, I think that is really quite bad.

"I mean, I don't know whether it can be helped or not, you know with them going bust or whatever, but it wasn't cheap."

Sharon Seymour, a 49-year-old medical summariser from Calne, Wiltshire, spent £440 on four tickets for the festival on Friday and Saturday.

She told BBC News Online: "My sister and brother-in-law were coming from Suffolk specifically for this.

"They're big Status Quo fans and we were really looking forward to seeing the group together and this seemed ideal.

"I am pretty gutted really. What else can you say? You rely on these people to provide the service they say they are going to, you don't expect a registered charity to go bankrupt."