PUBLIC apathy and short memories were today blamed for the cancellation of an event in aid of the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial fund.

Janine Batty, 27, was so affected by the death of Diana that she arranged a charity dinner dance at Ewood Park in her memory.

But Janine, reservations officer at Beardwood Private Hospital, Blackburn, has been forced to cancel the £20-a-head event because of poor ticket sales.

She said: "I am very upset because an awful lot of hard work went into organising the event.

"I think people must have very short memories. It was only a few months ago that the entire country was talking about Diana." Only about 90 tickets for the event, which featured a performance by Burnley band Soul Deep, were sold.

Invitations and posters were sent to schools, hospitals, health centres and businesses across East Lancashire.

But Janine was worried that sales would not cover the cost of staging the event, which was due to take place tonight.

She is now having to write to each of the companies which donated raffle prizes to ask what should be done with them.

She added: "I do not know whether they will want the prizes back or whether they will allow us to stage a raffle in the hospital.

"I will sell tickets to staff, patients and hospital visitors if they allow us to keep them."

The prizes include a Marks and Spencer food hamper and a £100 holiday voucher provided by Althams Travel Services.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.