A popular town carnival has been axed after people's irritation over road closures and losing access to car parks.

Tonbridge Carnival had been paused during the pandemic but organisers have now announced it will not return this year.

Plans to hold the annual event have been "unpopular with shoppers" according to organisers Tonbridge Lions Club.

They included the closures of three key roads in the town, resulting in blocked access to the car parks for two hours. It also cost more than £3,000 to fund the closures.

Lions president, Richard Hill, said the decision to stop organising the procession was "not taken lightly".

Instead, the club will focus on its "very popular" Summer Fete and Dog Show at Tonbridge Castle, held on June 11.

Mr Hill said: "The road closures did not only involve the High Street, but Avenue Le Puy and Sovereign Way. This meant that for approximately two hours all access was denied to the car parks, surrounding Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Iceland.

"In addition to these closures the Sovereign Way Long Stay Car Park and the Upper Castle Field Park were closed to all traffic, to enable the participants to congregate. These closures were proving to be unpopular with shoppers.

"Taking all this into account, and with the road closure costs exceeding £3,000, plus a lack of man power, we decided to concentrate on a Summer Fete and Dog Show, which has proved to be very popular."

He added: "I do hope the community of Tonbridge will understand our decision, and will support us for future events."

The club's Facebook page has been flooded with supportive messages, praising the charity-minded members for the hard work they have put in during previous years for the event.

They have also expressed understanding at not only the effort it takes – which includes marshalling the closures on top of everything else – but also the cost of the closure being prohibitive.

A reader commented: "One of the most important and hardest things to do in organising is knowing when it's the right time to stop. Sounds like you made an informed, well thought through decision, I hope the summer fete continues to grow! Thank you Lions for all you do for our town."