ONE of Hampshire's most popular music events is being postponed because the organisers cannot find a suitable venue.

Blues at the Abbey is the main fundraiser for the annual Titchfield Carnival.

However, following a dispute with English Heritage over the cost of hiring Titchfield Abbey, organisers the Bonfire Boys were left struggling to find a suitable location. They tried entering into a partnership with Titchfield Festival Theatre and booking the grounds of West Hill Park School, in Titchfield.

However, that partnership fell apart because of delays in obtaining a premises licence for nearly 2,000 people.

Nigel Prior, of the Bonfire Boys, said: "It now looks as if the blues event will have to be postponed until the August Bank Holiday.

"West Hill Park has a licence for up to 498 people, but we are expecting about 2,000. It could take up to two months to get this licence, and the theatre group felt it was too long to wait.

"If it gets too late in the year, we may have to look at different ways of raising money to host this year's carnival."

Titchfield Carnival has run for the last 125 years and regularly brings more than 20,000 people into the village.

Over the past few years it has come under increasing pressure from rising insurance costs, new regulations on roadside advertising and increased fees for hiring police officers.

Most recently, English Heritage took back control of Titchfield Abbey from the Titchfield Abbey Society and bumped up the price of hiring the venue.

To host Blues at the Abbey could cost up to £2,000, whereas in the past it has been about £500.

A spokesman for English Heritage said they had taken back control of the abbey because the society was hiring it out too frequently and stressed concerns about its management.

The Bonfire Boys are looking for any landowners who might be willing to let them host the event.

Anyone who can help should e-mail julian.gibbs@titchfieldbonfireboys.co.uk.