Sweltering weather predicted for the weekend has led organisers of a charity event to cancel planned donkey derby races.

Animal rights activists had threatened to stage a protest against the use of the animals at Radnor Park in Folkestone, which they believe is "cruelty" towards the creatures.

The organisers, Folkestone, Hythe & District Lions Club and their partners Dashing Donkeys, had initially planned to move the start time of this year's races due to the heatwave.

Temperatures in the town are predicted to peak close to 30C on Saturday.

But now it has been confirmed that donkeys will not be participating this year, and instead humans will compete in light-hearted races over the 40-yard course.

David Harvey, who organises the event for the Lions Club, says the decision to drop the donkeys has been taken on animal welfare grounds but is not a response to the critics of the event.

He said: "The donkey provider is still happy that is not going to be too hot because, obviously, donkeys are a little bit hardier than humans.

"They wanted to wait until tomorrow to make the decision. We said 'make the decision based on the fact that it's now 26C in Folkestone, what would your decision be?' and they said they'd probably say no. So we made the decision today.

"So for everybody's sake, we thought it's just easier to replace them with humans."

Social media posts advertising the event, which also features a boot fair and a number of stalls, had attracted angry comments from people who demand the event be halted.

One commented: "Don't you think this should be cancelled, making donkeys run in the temperatures predicted for Saturday is animal cruelty.

"Are you prioritising the money you will raise before the donkeys welfare?"

Another critic of the races said: "We now plan to attend as an animal rights protest to disrupt the event. Our protest will be peaceful but we will have drums and megaphones."