THE mayor of Bromyard has criticised local people for not supporting the town's Spring Festival.

Bill Gibbard said he had been to a number of festival events and had been shocked by the poor attendances.

"I think it's disgraceful when you consider the amount of effort put in by the organising committee," he said.

The BBCs Gardeners' Question Time, with Reg Mole, only attracted an audience of 40 to the Conquest Theatre, just 20 people watched a showing of the film Shakespeare in Love and even the centrepiece town criers' event failed to pull in the crowds.

Mike Cresswell, a member of the Festival 2000 organising committee, said the apathy was "incredible".

"On Saturday and Sunday there were hardly any public around to watch the town criers and that is free entertainment," he said.

This year's Festival, which finished on Monday, was billed as the biggest ever and had received widespread media coverage.

And Mr Cresswell added that it was not just the Festival that was poorly supported.

"With things we have put on at the theatre lately the audiences have been dreadful, I just don't know what they want.

"I think it's time the people of Bromyard realised what they have got. It is going to get to the stage where we can't afford to keep putting on these events.

"We are raising money throughout the year through boot sales, tombolas and draws and we are wasting it by putting on things people just aren't attending," he said.

Mr Cresswell said the committee may decide to concentrate just on town criers in future as next year they hope to attract the World Town Criers' Championship to Bromyard.

An innovation Mr Cresswell thinks would be useful is an events diary for the town, that organisers could consult before choosing dates.

On the night the Festival opened (Tuesday, May 2) there had been a number of other events in the area.