A train operator has hit out at festival organisers after an event headlined by Katherine Jenkins was cancelled.

Southeastern say Stardust Festivals Ltd - who were planning on running a four-day festival at Great Lines Heritage Park in Gillingham at the end of May - have “misled” customers by saying rail engineering works are to blame for the event not going ahead.

Last week, Stardust announced on social media its Dream Valley dance music event, which was due to take place on Saturday, May 27, has been moved to Upminster and will now take place on Friday, August 25 instead.

They also got in touch with people who bought tickets to the Katherine Jenkins concert, which had been planned for Friday, May 26, to say it would not be going ahead.

Medway Council refused permission for the four-day event licence in February.

Southeastern slammed the organisers for suggesting railworks were the reason behind the cancellation.

A spokesman said: “While we’ve been working with the Dream Valley dance festival promoters for many months on arrangements to ensure that festival-goers can get to Gillingham, it’s misleading to suggest that rail engineering works have caused the cancellation of this year’s event in Medway."

Network Rail has planned engineering works for Saturday, May 27, which includes running the high speed service between London St Pancras International and Ramsgate only to Gravesend to allow for engineering work to go ahead between Gravesend and Strood.

The Sole Street Line will only be running between London Victoria and Sole Street on this day as well.

Instead, there will be rail replacement buses. There are no planned engineering works for Friday, May 26.

A spokesman added: “As with any large-scale events across our network, we’re always very happy to work with organisers and promoters to ensure that people can take the train.

"While it’s often not possible to move large-scale engineering work, which has to be planned many months and sometimes years in advance, early conversations can ensure that alternative arrangements are in place, which had already been done for the festival this year.”

During two licensing meetings earlier this year, Stardust Festivals Ltd told councillors they planned to get around the issue of the rail engineering works by laying on shuttle buses from the O2 in Greenwich and a number of other pick up locations across the south east to take people to the Dream Valley event.

Its travel manager also explained how it was hoping to lay on park-and-ride locations in the Towns.

At the time, Kent Police objected to the plans over a number of concerns, including the detail in the plans over how many people the festival organisers expected to arrive and by what means.

Stardust Festivals Ltd has been contacted for comment.

Medway Council said Stardust Festivals Ltd have obtained a five-year licence for the use of the Great Lines Heritage Park, but this will be subject to consultations with interested parties including residents and safety clearance.