SUNDAY'S mayor's picnic has been cancelled for the first time in its 16-year history.

Town mayor Mark Cooper said he took the decision to pull the plug on his charity fundraiser because of worries about vehicles getting stuck in the War Memorial Park's saturated surface.

"Both the Rotary Club and I received advice that it's going to rain very heavily on Saturday with showers on Sunday. Various events involve getting vehicles on to the site and it is almost certain with more rain forecast the vehicles will churn up the grass or get stuck because it is already very soggy," said Cllr Cooper.

He said he was sorry he had to make the decision and added that charities which count on the picnic for fundraising could apply to him for grants.

"As a county councillor, I have a fund of £10,000 and any charity in difficulty because they have lost out through the fundraising opportunity can apply to me for some grant aid but they must be Romsey town based," he said.

The Rotary Club of Romsey Test organise the event to raise cash for the mayor's charities.

Club president David Bonnor-Morris said: "We got criticised one year when the grass was churned up by vehicles going in and out of the park. We have to get a number of vans on to the site to set up. The club voted last night (Wednesday) to cancel the event but the decision to cancel was not ours."

Romsey's new carnival queen and her attendants were due to be crowned by the mayor during the picnic. The crowning will take place at another date which has yet to be set.