SLAIDBURN'S steam fair extravaganza planned for next weekend has been cancelled due to the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Organiser David McNamee said: "It is a shame really because the money we hoped to make was going to the village school.
"I have been doing it for 20 years, but I am in the Merchant Navy and if I am not here I can't run it.
"Last year we had the year off because I was at sea and my daughter got married.
"We decided to do it again this year because I am at home on leave and everything was going to plan -- we had about six or seven steam engines and a craft fair organised."
But the decision to cancel was reluctantly taken about a month ago because of local landowners' fears that the event might spread the disease.
It will not be rescheduled this year but Mr McNamee hopes there will be one next summer.
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