Whitstable Oyster Festival has become the latest major Kent event to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The popular family-friendly weekender - an homage to the humble mollusc for which Whitstable is famous - takes place in the town every summer, usually during July.

It includes traditional events such as the vibrant oyster parade, the landing and blessing of the oysters, a food fair, the 'mud tug' and building 'grotters' - small candlelit mounds of oyster shells - on the beach at sunset.

While some locals opt to avoid the town during the busy period, the festival brings huge crowds of visitors to Whitstable, bringing a boost of trade to local business.

But Canterbury City Council has announced today that the festival will not be going ahead this year, following the government's announcement of an extension to coronavirus lockdown measures.

A spokesman said: "We're sad to announce that this year's Whitstable Oyster Festival has been cancelled.

"The decision to cancel was taken by FULL, the company organising the festival on our behalf, with our support.

"The health of everybody involved in the festival - visitors, staff, volunteers, event organisers, suppliers and sponsors - is of paramount importance. Safety must always come first.

"The extension of the lockdown confirmed by the government this afternoon would have caused further issues for suppliers to the festival. It cannot be postponed to a later date due to overlapping with other events and the pressure this would put on the emergency services.

"While it is the right decision in the circumstances, we know this news will be disappointing for many people and thank you for your understanding."

FULL's production director Kev Sutherland said the firm had planned a number of new additions, before taking the "difficult decision" to cancel.

"This would have been our third year of producing the event and we were looking forward to putting on an amazing show with wide-ranging additions and improvements for the people of Whitstable," he said. "But safety must always come first.

"In addition to the government rightly enforcing a prolonged period of social isolation, it would not be right to place any additional strain on the emergency services, who we are lucky enough to have working alongside us at our events.

"We have the utmost respect for them and wish to express our admiration for their dedication and professionalism, which is proving so vital at this time.

"Both we and the council also have a responsibility to our staff, event workers, suppliers and sponsors, so all developments have been closely monitored before making the final decision.

"We would like to thank them for their excellent work and we look forward to you all next year when we can celebrate Whitstable’s oysters with you once again. In the meantime, please follow the advice and stay safe.

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