WARMINSTER’S annual music event Inspire was cancelled on Sunday due to safety concerns caused by heavy rain.

Electricity boxes used by the bands posed a safety hazard due to the large amount of water, meaning the event, which would have been celebrating its third year, was called off.

Doug Halls, one of the founders of the event, said: “We really didn’t want to have to cancel as we’d been adamant that the weather wouldn’t stop us, but we hadn’t anticipated just how bad it would be.

“All three organisers had a long discussion on the bandstand before unanimously agreeing that it would be safest to call it off.

“We’re sorry we had to let down our loyal supporters but hope that everyone will be back to join us again next year.”

Local bands such as Duke Box and Stamp along with Angel Up Front, The Crash Gears and Polar Bear Cheese Pirates had been due to perform at Warminster Park, with numbers expected to exceed the 1,500 people who attended last year.

Warminster Mayor Sue Fraser said: “It was very disappointing for everyone involved to have to call off the event after so much hard work had gone into planning it, but health and safety have to come first and it just wasn’t worth the risk.

“We’re confident that next year will bring us better fortune and we’ll be able to have a day to remember for all the right reasons.”