ORGANISERS of the Royal Lancashire Show today insisted the event was not on the brink of a financial crisis.

The third day of last month's show had to be cancelled after heavy rain made the showground at Salesbury a muddy mess.

Committee chairman Rennie Pinder said there was no doubt over the show's finances as a result of the cancellation and said: "There are no organisations like ourselves that have had to go bust just because we have had one day of an event cancelled.

"People are very presumptuous and are assuming that because we lost one day, we are going to go bust."

Organisers have come under fire from show visitors for choosing a venue some claimed was unsuitable.

On the second day of the show heavy traffic meant visitors queued for up to three hours to get on to the site.

Mr Pinder is due to meet police to discuss the problems. He added: "There were traffic issues and we need to try to resolve them. I think there are ways the problems can be addressed. Nothing is impossible these days."

And he said rumours of a financial crisis and the threat of legal action from traders who lost out on a day's revenue were wide of the mark.

The Royal Lancashire Show moved to Salesbury Hall Farm from Chorley in a bid to attract more visitors and find a permanent home for the event.

It had previously been held at Witton Park, Blackburn.

Mr Pinder continued: "It is easy to throw threats about but we certainly haven't had any traders saying they want their money back.

"When you cancel an event because of a health and safety issue I would have thought it would not be negligent."

Mike Corrigan, a civil lawyer at Farleys solicitors, said inadequate drainage could give organisers a legal headache.

He said: "If the drainage was totally inadequate to cope with the amount of rain that one would expect for that time of year they would be negligent, but if there was a downpour that no one could have anticipated they would not be negligent.

"If the drainage was inadequate then I would think people would have a claim. If there was a downpour that no-one could have anticipated then I think anyone would have difficulty bringing a claim."