ORGANISERS of an annual event have thanked everyone for their support following a cancellation due to 'torrential rain'.

The Caerwys Agricultural Show was to be held on Saturday at Gatehouse Fields, near Babell.

But organisers released a statement via the event's Facebook page on the morning of the show, having to cancel due to the poor weather conditions.

Paula Spencer, showground manager, said the volunteers have spent the weekend clearing the field and has thanked everyone for their support and understanding.

She told the Leader: "The comments we have had on our Facebook have been brilliant, for the people to read after all their hard work of putting it up and then not being able to go ahead.

"Everyone is a volunteer and gives up their time to do it so it is disappointing not to be able to go through with it, but the comments have helped lift our spirits.

"We are sorting out a few things and will have a meeting next week to look at the costs and see how we can go forward.

"The field will have to have some work done to it. We currently have a new pond on there, we have never had a water feature there but when it stops raining, that will disappear."

The popular Flintshire event was also cancelled in 2012 due to poor weather conditions, but Ms Spencer said safe guarding measures where put in place this year, when they realised it was going to rain.

The show is staffed entirely of volunteers and organisers expressed their disappointment at the cancellation, but said they had no choice due to safety concerns.

It is hoped the show will return in 2020 but it is unlikely to be held at a later date this year.

Ms Spencer added: "We knew there was going to be another lot of rain coming in.

"It's going to take time.We had to cancel in 2012 due to the weather. This time we knew the weather wasn't very good but we put safe guarding measures in place. We didn't expect that amount of rain, it was torrential. I know because I was up most of the night, I could hear it.

"There was no way we could have gone ahead with it, someone could have gotten hurt, it was a matter of safety.

"I don't think we will do it again this year but we hope to carry it on. We will have a meeting and look at possibly a fundraising event to cover the cost of what we lost for this one.

"I would just like to thank everyone concerned, from traders, caters, general public and volunteers.

"In the run up to the show we had poor weather on the Thursday and the ground was still wet but we managed to get everything out onto the field and then the poor weather didn't return again until Friday night. When the rain continued we started taking it off on the Saturday."

The Leader previously reported that the after show disco still went ahead at the Crooked Horn in Brynford.

As the rain returns we reflect on the disappointment of the weekend. As you can see the mud was awful and that is with minimal traffic.

On a lighter note our Chairman & landowner took a few moments to enjoy the new water feature in the livestock field!

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful & dedicated team of volunteers on our committee who make the organisation of the show possible, including our very generous & forgiving landowners who allow the show to take place on their land.