A popular airshow will not go ahead this year after attempts to find sponsorship failed.The annual show at Old Buckenham Airfield, near Attleborough, usually takes place in June and last year attracted about 10,000 visitors and raised more than £5000 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

A popular airshow will not go ahead this year after attempts to find sponsorship failed.

The annual show at Old Buckenham Airfield, near Attleborough, usually takes place in June and last year attracted about 10,000 visitors and raised more than £5000 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

In February organiser Paul Layzell warned that financing the show through a major sponsor was critical if it was to go ahead this year because of increasing costs of insurance, fuel and displays.

Yesterday Mr Layzell said they had not been successful but added that they hoped to arrange "something smaller" in September.

"It's a great pity. It's part economics and part all the regulations that cover large events. We are hoping we will do something smaller in September.

"After seven years we do feel like a bit of a break. It's an enormous undertaking for all the volunteers. The costs are more than when we started . . . It's all health and safety requirements. As it gets bigger it costs more."

He added: "It's not only the scale of it, it's the time. The most time-consuming thing is raising the money for the sponsorship.

"We needed a minimum of £10,000 in sponsorship to underwrite the fuel and flying displays and if we had one company come along that would be the job done.

"But none of the previous sponsors have indicated that they would do it again this year. We have some who have been helping us from the beginning but people have got other priorities and projects."

Also in February it emerged that the historic airfield had been put on the market with a £1.5m guide price.