A STREET fair which over the years has helped charitable organisations raise thousand of pounds has been scrapped.

For the past five years the cost of putting on the street fair in Haslingden has been met by Action for Haslingden Partnership, which secured millions of Government funding to regenerate the town.

In 1999 it cost £1,861 to put the fair on which covered the cost of closing the streets, posting legal notices and street cleaning.

But the funding came to an end earlier this year and so did the town's tourism forum, which organised the event.

Haslingden Street Fair has been in existence for more than 20 years and it became a two-day event with crowds packing Higher Deardengate and the new market on Blackburn Road to enjoy the stalls, fun fair and car boot sales.

Rossendale's acting leisure officer Ken Claxon said: "When Rossendale had a tourist and events officer they organised the fair but as part of the cutbacks that job went a number of years ago.

"A decision was taken that the street fair was not financially viable and so it is not continuing."

The fair would have been on August 18.

Other activities are being held in the town next month, including a car boot sale and table top sale at St James Parish Church on August 25.