Weather leads to flower festival being cancelled in Shropshire

A viewing platform was to be set up for people to see the floral displays

A flower festival has been cancelled next month due to the weather, organisers said.

Shropshire Petal Fields was a two-week event to be held in Newport at Shropshire Petals, which grows flowers for biodegradable confetti.

But a dry spring, disease affecting varieties in one particular field and the recent hot weather has led to flowers not growing as hoped.

Organisers say the event will be back on next year.

Shropshire Festivals said it "had to be perfect or not at all" and would be arranging refunds.

It had arranged for activities, parking and a viewing platform to be set up to see the flowers.

'Extreme weather'

In a statement online, a spokesperson apologised for the "understandable disappointment and frustration" cancelling the event would cause.

"The teams behind the event feel exactly the same, words cannot express how saddened we are after months of preparation," it said.

"Unfortunately, the flowers for the flower field experience have not grown as we hoped they would.

"A dry spring followed by disease in that particular field, and then topped off by the recent extreme weather, has meant the flowers have been destroyed and the event cannot go ahead."

Flowers growing in other fields at the family-run farm are not affected and open to customers, Shropshire Festivals said.