A POPULAR food festival has been cancelled for the second year running due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Clitheroe Food Festival is an annual event organised by the Ribble Valley Borough Council, which showcases the best produce Lancashire has to offer.

The town centre event usually brings thousands from all over the country to Clitheroe to get a taste of the action.

But this year’s festival will not go ahead due to the pandemic.

Ricky Newmark, chairman of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s community services committee, said: “The Clitheroe Food Festival attracts visitors from across Lancashire and at any one time there can be thousands of people packed into the town centre.

“The council has created a strong narrative around food over the years and it is with great reluctance that we have decided not to go ahead with this year’s festival due to the challenge of holding it safely.

“We understand people will be disappointed and we are looking closely at how the festival might be held safely in the future.”