A FESTIVAL dedicated to Redditch's most famous son Led Zeppelin legend John Bonham has been cancelled.

Organisers of John Bonham A Celebration II, who promised the event would be bigger and better than last years, have admitted they would not be able to deliver it to a standard that would do justice to the legend.

Organisers hoped to build on the success of last year's town centre festival, timed to coincide with the unveiling of the John Bonham memorial statue and which helped raise more than £23,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

However, it will not go ahead.

The decision to cancel was taken after consultation with John Bonham's sister Debbie.

Promoter Ros Sidaway said:"We can only apologise to people who have been inconvenienced and were looking forward to what promised to be another memorable event.

"I'm sure we have made the right decision in cancelling this year with a view to providing something even better in future.

"We were doing this in the name of one of the all-time greats of rock music and it would be wrong to deliver anything less than the best."

She added: "John's family recognise this, and we wouldn't want to embarrass them or sell his memory short in any way. It's encouraging that we know people are prepared to travel from all over the world to honour his memory in his hometown."

More than a hundred tickets had already been sold for the event in September - to fans as far afield as the USA, Canada, Norway, Australia and even Turkmenistan.

Full refunds have already been paid.

CODA, a Led Zeppelin tribute act, who were due to close the festival on Saturday, September 21, will now play at the nearby Queen's Head and the Black Tap will also host live music.