ORGANISERS of next week's Royal Lancashire Show have praised the farming community for sticking by them - and helping ensure one of the country's agricultural flagship events continues to go ahead.

After switching from Chorley's Astley Park to a new venue near Ribchester last year, the event was cancelled two days into its three-day run after torrential rain washed out the site and long tailbacks developed.

This year's show is set to start a week today and show director, Andrew Thompson, said the support of the rural community has been vital.

He said: "I said last year that I was impressed with the resilience of the farming community in getting over foot and mouth and coming back here.

"This year, their resilience in sticking by us and coming back, despite last year's problems have meant the show will be even better.

"The same goes for the trade stands, they are all coming back, despite what happened last year."

Work on the Salesbury Hall Farm site, which sits next to the River Ribble, has already begun, with Rennie Pinder, the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society's chairman, insisting they are now in a better position than they were this time last year.

Improvements to the site include the laying down of metal tracks, which will prevent heavy vehicles from churning up the ground if it is wet.

Extra entrances have been created and parking charges scrapped.

Both moves were welcomed by police who believe will reduce the queues and prevent a repeat of the two-hour traffic jams people found themselves stuck in 2003.

A new road has also been created across the site and traffic arrangements outside the showground have been altered so people with horseboxes won't travel in on the same roads as other visitors.

Those changes - monitored by police and Ribble Valley Council - have enabled the show to get the green light from council bosses, who had threatened to pull the plug unless they were happy there wouldn't be a repeat of last year's problems.

Mr Pinder said: "Last year was a disappointment for us all and we have worked throughout the year to tackle it. We are grateful to everyone who has helped us."

And he urged people who hadn't visited the show to come along, adding: "There is something for everyone."