EXCLUSIVE

A Kent County Show chief has lost his job after wet weather cost organisers £300,000.

Roger Moore, executive manager for the past two shows, has paid for the washout with his job as Kent County Agricultural Society (KCAS) struggles to repair its balance sheet.

Sources familiar with the situation insist Mr Moore has not gone because of failings in his performance - but purely to save the cost of his £50,000-plus salary.

They say he was good at his job, brought new ideas to the show and are sorry to lose him.

Other jobs are being revamped and volunteers are expected to take on organisation of the 2013 show. KCAS is also understood to be selling stocks and shares to ease its financial crisis.

This year's show at the Kent Showground, in Detling, was a nightmare for organisers - with heavy rain turning parking areas into quagmires.

Vehicles were stuck in the mud before car parks were closed. Many ticket holders never made it to the showground and misleading road signs kept people away by wrongly stating the show was closed.

Muddy car parks forced Kent County Show organisers to close the gates

KCAS chairman George Jessel defied official advice to shut the south east’s biggest regional farming showcase by keeping it open for most of the three days in July.

However, visitor numbers slumped from 67,000 in 2011 to just 50,000. Exhibitors lost money and some threatened to stay away next year.

Despite the financial threat to next year’s show, KCAS is determined to keep it "on the road" by sweeping cost cuts.

In a letter to council members, the KCAS executive board said: "Following a very wet show this year the Board of KCAS who are the organisers of the Kent County Show has had to restructure the Society and this has sadly resulted in a staff redundancy of the Executive Manager.

"More of the management will be carried out by the voluntary board for the foreseeable future in order to safeguard the largest single annual outside event in Kent."