OKEHAMPTON'S First Aid Music Festival to help communities affected by the foot and mouth crisis has been postponed for a second time — but organisers hope it will be third time lucky!

Foot and mouth restrictions on fields adjacent to Okehampton Showground, which were to be used for car parking, will not be lifted by MAFF in time to stage the event as expected.

Stars like The Honeyz, Damage and The Three Degrees were lined up to perform at the festival, which is billed to be the biggest this side of Glastonbury.

The event, backed by the South West Regional Development Agency to the tune of £50,000, has also been hit by funding difficulties and, with extra time, organisers hope to win cash from Objective Two funds and the Barclays Rural Regeneration Fund.

Originally scheduled for May Bank Holiday weekend in Simmons Park, the event was switched to Okehampton Showground which could cater for a larger capacity crowd for the end of June.

One of the trustees of the charity behind the festival, Tim Jones, said car parking on-site was essential to the success of the event.

'There was talk of staging a smaller event so we would not need the extra car parking facilities but this would not have generated money for the rural recovery which is the whole aim of the festival,' he said.

Up to £1-million was to be ploughed back into the local economy if the expected attendance figures of 60,000 were reached over the three days.

Mr Jones said MAFF was still concerned about lifting restrictions on foot and mouth areas despite an assurance last month that it would be okay to use fields for car parking.

A new date for September 1-2 has been earmarked, but it will depend on MAFF's decision to give clearance.

'We still have various problems to overcome and we hope to have achieved this by the end of the month, therefore clearing the way for the proposed dates in September,' said festival co-ordinator Susanne Watt.

'My commitment is to the community and I will continue to do everything I can to see this festival go ahead. If everybody works together I am sure we can achieve this.'

Mrs Watt said contrary to a rumour going around the town, Okehampton Show Committee had nothing to do with the postponement of the festival.

'Anyone with any questions or queries at all should telephone the festival information line on 01837 54331 to get it from the horse's mouth,' she said.