Winter festival cancelled due to high winds

The festival includes a light trail, live performances, a cinema truck and an audio-visual display of poetry

Organisers of an enchanted forest experience said it "won't be the safest place to be" as a forecast for strong winds forced them to cancel the event.

Nene Park bosses said they were "gutted" the Winter Festival event at Ferry Meadows, Peterborough, would not take place on Thursday.

The decision came amid a yellow weather warning for the East of England with gusts of up to 80mph forecast by the Met Office.

Ticket holders for the event, which is running until Christmas Eve, would be refunded, Nene Park said on social media.

Visitors at the festival can walk through a lit woodland

It is the first time Ferry Meadows has hosted a Winter Festival, which is a fundraiser for the upkeep of the park.

The ticketed event includes a light trail and live performances.

Steph Peachey, head of the trust's visitor experience, said: "We were really gutted when we heard about the high winds scheduled for today as we knew it would mean we would have to cancel Winter Festival.

"It was set to be another busy night, and we’ve had so much joy welcoming people to the event on the run up to Christmas, but safety has to come first."

Some people have been able to rebook before the event finishes on Christmas Eve but it is now sold out, she added.