NEXT year's Alton and North East Hampshire Agri­cultural Show has been cancelled because of a lack of volunteers to organise and stage the event.

In particular it has proven impossible to fill leadership vacancies for a show chairman and a chief cattle steward, leaving the management committee with little option but to call a temporary halt.

But, while forced to stand back and take stock, the show management committee aims to relaunch in 2015, refreshed and reinvigorated, with new ideas for an even better show.

Run by the North East Hants Agricultural Assoc­iation, concerns were raised after this year's show when some long-standing volunteers decided to call it a day.

For full story, see this week's Alton Herald.