THE organisers of the weather-battered Saltburn Food Festival have praised the “very special” community spirit that helped ensure a memorable day for thousands of visitors despite the challenging conditions.

With forecasters predicting heavy rain and gusts of well over 40 miles per hour throughout Sunday afternoon, the agonising decision was taken to cancel all outdoor stalls that required gazebos.

But despite months of detailed plans having to be cast aside, townsfolk rallied round with offers of support and indoor facilities that could be used to help rescue a scaled-down event.

“It was an incredibly difficult call to make, but safety comes first,” said organiser Lorna Jackson.

“Saltburn is a wonderful place and everyone rallied round and help in any way they could.

"We were able to find space for all those traders who were able to operate indoors and I’m delighted with the way people reacted and how everyone played their part."

Ms Jackson remains upbeat despite the disappointment of having to run a scaled-down event and has vowed that the festival will be back better than ever next year.

“We’ve had five years of good weather for the food festival,” she said.

“Hopefully we have now had our share of wind and rain in one day and will have another five years of sunshine after this."