Organisers of one of the county's biggest summer events have taken the "extremely difficult" decision to cancel.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the 2020 Kent County Show will now not take place.

The event should have been held from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12 at the Kent Showground near Maidstone but will now not take place until the same weekend next year.

Organisers the Kent County Agricultural Society said that over the last few weeks, they had investigated every possibility to still hold the show in a way that would be safe for all.

But in a statement they said: "However, as the situation continues to develop, it has become clear that we have no alternative but to cancel the show.

"This decision was not made easily. As a board of directors and a staff team, the Kent County Show is central to what we do, and we know many of our visitors, competitors, and exhibitors will be just as disappointed as we are to hear this news.

"The Kent County Agricultural Society takes pride in supporting the county’s farming and rural communities. We may not be running the show this year, but we will continue to support Kent’s agricultural and farming communities where we can and will work hard to see the Kent County Show return in 2021."

KMTV spoke to show general manager Lucy Hegarty.

The society's statement added: "We would like to take this time to thank our members, sponsors, exhibitors, competitors, visitors and volunteers. Your support is essential to the ongoing work of the society - now more than ever."

They said they would be contacting all trade stands, sponsors and those who have bought tickets for the Kent County Show to discuss their options over the next few days.

The dates for next year's show are: Friday, July 9, Saturday, July 10, and Sunday, July 11, 2021.

To find out more go to kentshowground.co.uk

To see more events and venues affected by the outbreak click here.