MINEHEAD Harbour Fest and the traditional annual raft race have been cancelled for 2018.

Organisers confirmed on Friday that one of the most popular events in the Minehead calendar would be postponed until 2019 due to 'unforeseen management challenges and continued health and safety concerns'.

The event often attracts thousands of visitors to the harbour and in recent years has extended from the annual raft race and fireworks to include two days of activities including kayaking, live music and much more. 

The event is also one of Minehead RNLI's biggest fundraising events.

Julian Abraham,  who is one of the organisers and runs the Old Ship Aground pub at Minehead Harbour, issued a statement on Friday via the RNLI Minehead Harbourfest Facebook page.

"It is with great sadness and regret that the decision has been taken to postpone this year’s Harbour Fest until 2019, due to unforeseen management challenges and continued health and safety concerns," Mr Abraham said. 

"This decision has not been made lightly but was needed to secure the success of this community event by giving the organisers time to work through a new framework and plan for the future.

"We apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment. Please be assured of the commitment of everyone involved to continue running this amazing event into the future, with safety and enjoyment for all being of paramount concern."

Speaking to the Gazette, Mr Abraham said that health and safety concerns for large events are becoming under increasingly onerous, and that organisers were all volunteers who were in a tricky position legally when it came to liability.

"The days when you could put on a big event and sort of the hope for the best are sadly over. We will work hard though with professionals to bring back the event for 2019," he said.