IT started as the sunny highlight of the countryside calendar but ended in a wet and muddy disaster.

This year's Hampshire Country Show was expected to bring more than 20,000 people to the Broadlands estate in Romsey, but with torrential downpours and blustering winds organisers have branded the bank holiday weekend event a disaster.

Only 8,000 people are thought to have turned up to the three-day event, most of which arrived on the sunnier Saturday.

"The first day was fine and we had lots of people turn up and have a really good time," said Mark Hulme, co-director of Living Heritage Events.

"But the weekend was decimated by the weather and people just stayed away for the next two days."