The spread of Coronavirus has put a stop to Walmer's annual memorial concert for the 11 Royal Marines who were killed by the IRA.

The Portsmouth and Collingwood bands, who alternate for the Marines on the Green event, can no longer perform at the July 5 concert - breaking the annual tradition for the first time since 1991.

Derek Lindars, chairman of the organisers Deal Memorial Bandstand Trust, said: "I’ve been informed by the Royal Marines that they have found it necessary to cancel the concert because of the Covid-19 crisis."

It follows uncertainty whether what has become Deal's premier event could take place after the Prime Minister placed the country on lock down last Monday.

That followed a ban on mass gatherings a week earlier which resulted in the cancellation or postponement of thousands of outdoor events nationally. Locally this includes the Walmer Brocante, Sandwich Salutes the 40s and the town's Food Fayre.

Last week we reported that the bandstand trust has cancelled the usual Sunday concerts for the month of May.

A decision will be made in mid April whether June and July’s concerts will be cancelled too.

Donations collected at the The Marines on the Green and the Sunday concerts pay for the running of the Deal Memorial Bandstand, built and dedicated as a living memorial to the 11 musicians who died after the bombing of the Deal Barracks on September 22, 1989.

Mr Lindars added: "Our fundraising will be hit and this year we will be eating into reserves to carry our routine maintenance (the reserves are usually for major capital works).

Warrant Officer First Class Bandmaster Simon Tripp said: “Although this is the right thing to do in the light of the ongoing outbreak, I’m sure the Deal community will share our feelings of immense disappointment that we have needed to cancel this poignant date in our calendars.

"We are always touched by the respect shown in Deal and the reception we receive there. Members of the Royal Marines Band Service, along with their colleagues across the Armed Forces, are poised at this exceptional time to help the nation deal with the covid pandemic.”

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