Although Wyre Council did not give Alan Bell any direct financial support, it did contribute the Marine Hall and the Leisure Centre, which gave the festival a solid foundation.

I understand that they did not extend this support to the organisers of the new festival, making their task even more difficult.

The result is that we have lost a folk festival, while Wyre District has lost its biggest single tourist event, one that since 1972 has attracted thousands of people to Fleetwood and brought in millions of pounds to the local economy.

It's another blow to Lancashire which lost the successful Lancaster Maritime Festival through interdepartmental squabbles on the City Council.