THE future of the New Forest Show has been secured, the Daily Echo can reveal today.

The event, one of the south's biggest tourist attractions, has been given a dream ticket to a long-term future - just two years after its whole existence was thrown into doubt.

Plans for a new campsite at the New Park Showground at Brockenhurst, hot on the heels of the 2001/2 foot-and-mouth outbreak, had hoisted huge question marks over the show.

Hundreds of people signed Save Our Showground petitions in a bid to keep the site open for the show.

"It was a worrying time for all of us and of course there were doubts over the future of the show at Brockenhurst," said the event's chairman Geoff Morgan.

But those days have been pushed well and truly into the past after it was announced that a new lease was being drawn up with the Forestry Commission and the future of the event, which pulls in around 100,000 visitors a year, was secure.

Mr Morgan said: "It is something that has put everyone at the show in a very excited mood as to what the future holds and for the other rural events at New Park."

The Forestry Commission - which is the New Park Farm landlord- scrapped its controversial plans to relocate its Hollands Wood campsite to New Park in 2002.

But the new long-term 'lease of life' for the show still seemed out of reach until the weekend, when the Commission released a letter saying that changes were afoot at the park.

Mike Seddon, deputy surveyor of the New Forest, said: "We intend to conclude negotiations with the New Forest Agricultural Show Society regarding a new long-term lease for the whole of New Park.

"We hope these arrangements enable the delivery of a secure future for the New Forest Show and for the encouragement of other 'Forest-friendly' activities. This is an exciting time in New Park's history."

Mr Seddon said that the Commission had come to "an arrangement" with the present tenant farmer of New Park - local councillor John Korbey - to surrender his agricultural tenancy on April 5 this year. He and his family will be able to stay in their homes, and existing holiday lets and events bookings will be honoured.

Richard Cuzens, executive secretary of the show society, said: "The initial lease covers all the land used for the show and it has been confirmed that further talks are under way to safeguard the area.