Residents and business owners in Shropshire have been left furious after a beloved 150-year-old flower show was cancelled.
The Shrewsbury Flower Show was cancelled with organisers blaming rising costs, including National Insurance contributions and extra expenditure on security.
The event run by the Shropshire Horticultural Society dates back to 1875 and drew in enthusiasts from across the country.
However, after the Covid pandemic cancelled the 2020 and 2021 events, a security alert saw the site evacuated and the event cancelled in 2023.
The Shrewsbury Flower show has been cancelled
WikICommons
Shrewsbury Town Council added that the introduction of Martyn's Law has brought new and challenging responsibilities for event organisers, but insisted that public safety must always remain paramount.
Chairman of the Society, Maelor Owen, said last week: "As a Society, we have struggled to put on a Show that was financially viable for several years.
"Over the past few years, strenuous efforts have been made to reduce costs and boost attendance. Regrettably, the loss incurred by the Society in staging the 2024 Show was significantly greater than we had anticipated, by way of example, we spent over £150,000 on security and barriers.
"Recent changes to National Insurance and the minimum wage, combined with the cost of living crisis, mean that further extensive losses would be incurred should we proceed with the 2025 Show. Such losses are simply no longer sustainable."
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Lilies on display at the Shrewsbury Flower Show
WikiCommons
Businesses and horticulture enthusiasts in Shrewsbury reacted with sadness to the announcement.
Nineteen-year-old Maddie Hards, who was a regular at the event, told the BBC: "I think it's a big thing for Shrewsbury to not have it, you think of Shrewsbury and you think of the flower show...it's always been such a big part of the town."
"I thought [the cancellation] was some fake news thing originally, and then I saw the statement from the horticultural society. It's unreal, it's mad."
Danielle Ditella, who runs The Loopy Shrew and bed-and-breakfast Darwin's Townhouse, added: "All of our accommodation was fully booked as a direct result of the flower show...[it will have] a huge financial impact."
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, more commonly known as Martyn's Law, was named after Martyn Hett - one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing attack in May 2017.
According to the law, venues with a capacity of more than 800 people must take steps to protect against the threat of terrorism, like bag-search policies and CCTV.
Meanwhile, public premises where capacity is 200 or fewer are required to have plans in place in the event of an attack.
