ORGANISERS of the Great Eccleston Agricultural Show are hoping the event will still go ahead despite the foot and mouth crisis.

Doubt had been cast over the annual show, which is due to take place on July 14-15 at the showground off the A586 Garstang Road, after this week's cancellation of the Cheshire Agricultural Show.

Sheila Robinson, Great Eccleston show secretary, told The Citizen that organisers were in a "wait and see" situation.

"We have not really made a decision yet," she said. "It will be made this month. We are going to see if the Government gets on top of the outbreak."

Wyre borough councillor Alf Coop, also a member of the show's executive committee, said: "We are still hopeful the show will go ahead.

"We have not decided what to do yet. It might go ahead without animals, or we might have to cancel it altogether."

The cancellation of the show, though by no means inevitable, would be a big blow and leave organisers facing huge losses, he said.

He added: "Probably the worst thing we are suffering with is the cancellation of the farmers' markets. We were hoping to start with one in St Annes in June but the foot and mouth might delay that."