Hillsborough Parkrun cancelled due to Tramlines repair work

Contractors are still working to restore the park nearly a month on from the festival

A running event in a Sheffield park has been cancelled "until further notice" as repair work continues following Tramlines Festival.

Organisers of Hillsborough Parkrun said they were "devastated" but could not guarantee the safety of participants.

Much of Hillsborough Park remains fenced off after it was damaged during heavy rain at the three-day music festival last month.

Tramlines organisers have said they were committed to restoring the park.

The site became a mud bath on the festival's last day as downpours soaked the 40,000 attendees.

Organisers said fences would make the Parkrun unsafe

Hillsborough Parkrun, which attracts between 400 and 500 runners each Saturday, resumed on 12 August with a diverted route after a month-long absence due to the festival and repair work.

But organisers said they had been forced to cancel the next scheduled event on 19 August after additional fencing was placed on paths used by runners.

"We can't believe we find ourselves in this position again," wrote event directors Caroline Brash and John Liddle on Facebook, adding: "I'm afraid this week we have to admit defeat.

"We are so sorry. We have done all we can but it wasn't enough."

They added the 3.1-mile (5km) running event would return when the fences were cleared, which was expected to be in September.

The BBC has contacted Tramlines and Sheffield City Council, which manages the park, for comment.

Rain turned the last day of the festival into a mud bath

The local authority has previously said the park would reopen in sections as repair work progressed, but the restoration has been delayed by wet weather.

Work being carried out by contractors includes the removal of debris and the top layer of soil, raking and levelling, reseeding, and the protection of grass during new growth.

Tramlines said it was paying for all repairs.