BLENHEIM Palace has been accused of ruining community events after a centuries-old tradition was cancelled due to clashing with Countryfile Live.

Woodstock's tongue-in-cheek mock mayor election was due to be held this weekend but will now skip a year.

One town councillor blamed 'mega-events', such as Countryfile Live, which are regularly hosted at the World Heritage Site.

Sharone Parnes said: “It’s the latest example of how palatial mega-events and other commercial activities impact community customs and routines.

“Residents are expected to endure things like vehicular lockdown due to heavy road traffic, at other times to tolerate disruptive noises of fireworks and simulated explosives at inconvenient hours, and now experience the disappointment of changes to a popular summer charity fundraising event.

“It seems a virtual mockery in itself when a popular British folk tradition like the mock mayor event is impeded by palatial commercial activities.

"On the other hand, this year’s cancellation shows how very considerate and tolerant Woodstock’s residents are towards the Blenheim Estate.”

The mayor making dates to 1786 and sees a mock mayor elected by residents in Old Woodstock to rival and ridicule the town’s actual mayor.

Candidates compete by making outlandish promises, like offering residents free alcohol for the year.

Usually held at this time, this year’s mock election was due to be held tomorrow, but this would have coincided with Countryfile Live, which started yesterday and runs until Sunday.

Not only have organisers cancelled this year’s event, but they will also change the date in future to avoid a decline in numbers.

Chairman of the mock mayor organising committee, Mike Davidson, said: “The committee has decided to re-group and come back bigger and better in 2018.

“This is due to the Countryfile Live event at Blenheim now taking place, for the foreseeable years, on the first weekend in August.

“We have now made the decision to move the event to the last weekend in July.

"We hope this will work better with attendance numbers on the day.”

The mock mayor election was created because Old Woodstock residents were upset the town hall was built in the new part of the town in 1786.

Traditionally the day culminates in a procession from Old Woodstock to the town hall so that the mock mayor can turn his back on Woodstock’s actual mayor.

The procession then returns to the Black Prince pub at 6pm, where the mock mayor is duly dunked in the River Glyme and a pig roast and live music begins. The event also raises money for good causes every year, and last year brought in funds for multiple sclerosis and prostate cancer charities.

Organisers said support is needed to sustain the event in future, and urged those interested to get involved.

Blenheim Palace did not respond to a request for comment.