THE new year firework spectacle at Looe has been axed due to lack of support.

Looe Town Council recently appealed to people to help organise the midnight firework display, but no one has come forward.

Now the council has cancelled the event for this year completely.

Town clerk Anne Frith said: "The council has really put a lot of resources into this event in previous years, and it is really about time that local businesses got together to organise fireworks and town Christmas lights display, perhaps by reforming the local chamber of trade."

Earlier this year the town council decided they would no longer use public money to fund the display and if it were to continue it would have to be funded by local businesses.

Concern was also raised by members of the East Looe Town Trust and town councilors about health and safety issues and the amount of property damaged around the beach front area during last year's celebrations. The police also said they were worried about maintaining public order with so many people in a small confined place and any extra policing would have to be funded by organisers.

It was suggested that the event would move to the Millpool and become a more family friendly occasion and an advert for volunteers to organise the event was publicised.

But there were no responses to the appeals and now the celebration is likely to be scrapped for this new year.

A local businessman did agree to pay for the display providing it continued on the sea front, but East Looe Town Trust does not want this to happen.

Anne added: "East Looe Town Trust won't allow us to do the display on the seafront and the sponsor will not sponsor us if we hold it at the Millpool.

"It is now unlikely that the event will take place at all in 2008/2009 unless some volunteers come forward very quickly in the next couple of weeks."

At the town council meeting on Monday Cllr Edwina Hannaford said: "It is a great loss to the town and the people."