A music festival was cancelled today after safety concerns were raised a shooting incident in 2016.

Tea Party Festival announced its move to the Thameside Promenade on Richfield Avenue in January, citing a huge demand for tickets for the 2018 event.

The festival was due to take place on June 29, but received several objections to its licensing application to Reading Borough Council (RBC).

RBC licensing officer Richard French questioned the company’s ability to run a safe event in his representation against the festival's licensing application, referring to a shooting that occurred at the festival when it was held at Windsor Racecourse in 2016.

A spokesman for Tea Party Festival said: "It is with deep regret that we have made the decision to cancel this year’s Tea Party fest.

"This wasn’t made lightly, but we feel it is essential for the future of the event that we take a break in 2019.

"It goes without saying that anyone who has purchased a ticket for this year will be refunded. This will be done automatically by our ticket provider.

"We want to thank all of our loyal customers, without you this event wouldn’t exist, and we will endeavour to bring you the sixth installment of Tea Party Fest in summer 2020."

A 27-year-old man was shot with a gun within the VIP area of the festival in 2016.

Mr French said: “This leads to concerns around the proposed security arrangements for the event here in Reading as well as concern over the nature of the event and the applicant’s ability to run a safe event.”

The officer raised numerous other concerns about the application, including fire safety preparation, the applicant’s ability to host an event for up to 9,999 people, and whether the tents and structures for the event would be safe and competently constructed.

Mr French added: “Whilst the licensing authority is not against the holding of such events in Reading – being home to a number of successful events like Reading Festival and CAMRA Beer Festival – our first responsibility is to safeguard the public and promote the four licensing objectives.”

TVP officer Declan Smyth said the applicant had previously shown themselves to be reasonably good at reacting to issues after they occurred but had been ‘poor pre-emptively’.

The application also received objections from various local groups, including the North Reading Safer Neighbourhood Forum (NRSNF) and Caversham GLOBE.

Tea Party took place at Windsor Racecourse from 2016-2018, with artists such as Example, Kurupt FM and Sigma headlining the festival.