THE ORGANISERS of this year's cancelled Tandem festival have revealed spiralling security costs forced them to pull the plug.

Co-founder Nicholas O'Brien said his team decided they could not afford the increasing safety demands of the venue, Hill End Outdoor Education Centre near Farmoor.

After some 500 people flocked to the music and environment celebration last June, an anticipated 600 to 1,000 visitors this year would require more safety measures, he said.

Mr O'Brien explained: "There were issues with regards to safeguarding becoming more complicated as the festival was growing so we decided maybe it would be best, budget-wise, if we focussed on making next year's festival."

In addition, the Tandem team is also working to provide music at a host over other events this summer including Low Carbon Oxford Week and Oxford Festival of Nature, both in June, and trying to organise the Tandem festival at another venue at such short notice would have added another pressure.

Mr O'Brien said his team believed they had already found a new venue for Tandem 2017 which was still within cycling and walking distance of Oxford.

More details are due to be released in due course.