A rock festival expected to attract up to 1,000 people to the grounds of a country house was cancelled because owners of the venue were 'really concerned' about fire risks.

Bands including Deaf Havana, Therapy?, the Sherlocks and Fuzzy Sun were due on stage at the High Walls bash at High House Gardens, near King's Lynn, on Saturday and Sunday.

But promoters Twisted Melon have pulled the plug after talks with the venue's owners and Norfolk fire service, with a warning for extreme heat from the Met Office in place between Thursday and Sunday, predicting temperatures of around 34C.

Concerns were raised over people smoking at the site, a two-acre Victorian walled garden on the edge of the village of Congham, which is surrounded by tinder-dry fields of standing crops.

Tristan Finnis from Twisted Melon said: "The fire service pushed a few concerns at us but the venue were really concerned because they've got barley fields on three sides.

"They wanted to go down the road of a complete smoking ban on the site but we wouldn't be able to police it without having three times the security, which just wouldn't be viable."

Mr Finnis said organisers were also concerned about the lack of shade at the open site after a number of revellers collapsed from the heat at events last weekend.

Those who have already paid £40 for tickets to the event will be refunded.

High House has also cancelled an open-air cinema event due to have been held on the Friday night before the festival.

It said on social media: "Sadly we have to announce the cancellation of this event due to safety concerns raised by Norfolk Fire and Rescue. It is going to be too hot and dry this weekend to safely host an event."

Toby Wing-Pentelow, who manages the gardens, said: "It's purely from a safety point of view. It's going to be so hot this weekend it's just not safe."

Other large events planned in Norfolk this weekend, including the Holkham Festival of Sport and the Old Buckenham Hot Air Balloon Festival, are going ahead as planned.

Greg Preston, head of prevention for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: “During summer we know that residents will be out and about, enjoying local festivals but we encourage the people of Norfolk to have fun safely.

"We always urge caution when smoking at large event, particularly when it is as warm and dry as it has been this summer. The embers from cigarettes can easily start large fires on dry grass, such as that currently found on Norfolk’s many music festival sites.

"So, please take care if smoking at these events, and do so safely by stubbing out cigarettes in sand, a bucket of water or any provided ashtrays. Never stub them out on the ground, it can easily start a fire.

“If you organise a festival or event in Norfolk and do allow smoking, please ensure your fire risk assessment considers provision of designated, safe smoking areas, with sand or water buckets for festival goers to stub out their cigarettes in safely. We also encourage organisers to ensure their event is as fire safe as possible by keeping any fire exits clear at all times, having a fire safety plan in place and having fire wardens on site.”


Safety warning

Norfolk Fire Service has issued advice on fire safety as temperatures soar.

It includes:

  • Don’t drop cigarettes or any burning item onto dry ground
  • Ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished even when smoking outside. Don’t throw them from car windows where they may land on dry ground or grass by the roadside
  • Don’t leave glass products behind when enjoying time outside. Direct sunlight through glass can cause fire risk
  • Don’t use barbecues in fields, open grassland, parks and forests, especially during periods of hot, dry weather
  • Don’t use single-use, portable barbecues. They a significant fire risk but you also cannot recycle any part of it. Ensure it is fully extinguished and cold before safe disposal.