A town’s annual fireworks display won’t take place this year after a council was unable to secure a sponsor for the event.

Gravesham council has said it understands some will be left “disappointed” after the riverside show was cancelled.

The local authority tried to find sponsorship instead of funding the event with taxpayers’ money but was unable to find someone after last year’s sponsorship agreement with Swale Heating ended.

It will be the second time in the past five years there has not been a display after Benny the Beluga’s appearance in 2018 forced a cancellation.

Fireworks were to be set off from a barge in The Thames but advice from the Port of London Authority said the effects of fireworks on or over the river would cause disturbance to Benny.

Speaking about not being able to run a show this year, Gravesham council leader Cllr John Burden said: “I know this will be disappointing news for a lot of people, but we are not in a position where we can substitute council taxpayers’ money for the considerable and generous amount of sponsorship it took to put the show on.

“To do so would mean we would have to make the difficult decision of which other and likely more essential services we would need to deprive of several thousand pounds of funding to divert it to the fireworks event, which is not a decision that would sit well with me, my fellow members or, I am sure, the great majority of our residents.”

Cllr Burden explained that even were a sponsor to come forward now with an offer to support the event, it would be too late for it to go ahead this year.

He added: “The scale of the event means we have to order the fireworks several months ahead. In reality, our cut-off date for getting our order in was the end of July but we gave ourselves until the end of August in the hope of finding a sponsor, but it was not to be.”

Instead of attending the annual council event, Cllr Burden has urged people to support some of the smaller community shows around the town.

He wanted to reiterate the decision not to run a show this year isn’t a cost-cutting measure as “for a number of years now the display has not cost the council a penny thanks to the extraordinary generosity our sponsors”.

The council’s events team is now focusing its efforts on its Hallowe’en celebrations which will include shows and films at The Woodville, as well as a family show on LV21, while an interactive, immersive, murder mystery and escape quest tour will be held in the tunnels at Fort Gardens, Gravesend.

A packed programme at Gravesend Borough Market includes a music-based Spookfest on Saturday, October 28 and a family event with face painting, craft-based activities and fancy dress on Sunday, October 29.

Local historian Christoph Bull will be leading Grim Gravesend tours on October 28 and there will be slime workshops in St George’s Arts Centre throughout the day.

Cllr Burden added: “We will of course also have a full programme of Christmas events. We love Christmas in Gravesham, it’s a really special time when our communities come together to celebrate.

“We’ll be sharing details of what we have planned very soon.”