Organisers of a literary festival due to take place at Chiddingstone Castle say they have put on hold the sale of tickets, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The event, which is due to include a string of appearances by best-selling authors such as Michael Morpurgo and Joanne Trollope, is planned to take place over the May Bank Holiday weekend

In an announcement made this afternoon, organisers said: "Due to the current uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak we have decided to postpone releasing tickets to this year’s Literary Festival at Chiddingstone Castle until the circumstances are clearer.

"We are monitoring the situation carefully. We will follow the advice of the government and will take any action necessary to protect us all. The safety of our speakers, staff and audience is paramount.

"We are very sorry to disappoint, but at this stage we feel it is too soon to make the decision to proceed as planned."

It is just the latest event which has been forced to delay or postpone its plans.

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