A parade to honour the pilots who changed the course of the Second World War has been scrapped after organisers were hit with a £1,000 bill for it to go ahead.
Dereham's Battle of Britain commemorations have previously relied on the help of Norfolk police to control traffic and close roads.
But the force has ended the arrangement, leaving the town council with the option of paying £1,000 to a private company to carry out the work - an expense it says it cannot afford.
It means this year's parade through the town - which has been held for decades - will be replaced by a curtailed event in the town's churchyard.
The commemorations - to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain - are organised by the Dereham and Swaffham branch of the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA).
Alistair Leech, branch secretary, said: “In the past, we’ve had support from Dereham Town Council and Norfolk police, but with public finances stretched they cannot do that this year.
"It is just an unfortunate set of circumstances; they have greater demands on their pockets.”
The parade has been a fixture of the town for many years although it has not gone ahead since 2019, as a result of the pandemic and the death of the Queen.
Before those cancellations, the police have lent assistance free of charge.
In their absence, organisers were told they would have to use a private traffic management company to provide signage for the road closures and traffic marshals.
A spokesman for Dereham Town Council said: "We continue to support the Battle of Britain Parade as we have always done by providing a reception.
“The Town Council did receive a request for additional funding of £1,000 to cover the cost of traffic management which the council felt unable to support.
“Dereham Town Council will focus on Remembrance Day which remembers all branches of our armed forces."
Despite the disappointment, Mr Leech said he was pleased that at least something was being held.
“I’m just glad we can still have this event, it's just unfortunate we are unable to support the full parade," he said.
“This is not an appeal for money. We’re past the point of no return of planning. Now, we are looking forward to marking the RAF sacrifice to the country. At least we can conduct something.”
The event will take place between 11am and 12.30pm this Sunday - the nearest Sunday to Battle of Britain Day, September 15.
The date, in 1940, saw one of the biggest aerial battles of the campaign, ending in a decisive victory for the RAF as it thwarted the German Luftwaffe's attempts to achieve air superiority and force the British to negotiate a peace settlement.
Rather than a parade through the town, members of the 1249 (Dereham) Squadron, Air Training Corps and local air cadets will march around St Nicholas churchyard.
Norfolk police have been approached for comment.
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