Keighley gala is on despite rumours that it has been scrapped because the traditional funfair has pulled out.

Gala committee chairman Brian Hudson said it would go ahead today as planned with the events in Victoria Park and as the start to Keighley Festival.

"If I have to go out with a loudspeaker on the roof of my van to tell everybody, I will," he said.

He confirmed that the funfair had been called off by Marshall's Amuzements because of the forecast bad weather.

"When people heard that the fair was not coming, they wrongly assumed the gala was off. But the gala is not the funfair, that was just part of it. The gala is the crowning of the queen and the parade."

He said Marshall's had cancelled fearing the forecast of heavy rain would make Victoria Park too boggy. "Some of the amusements have been at Glastonbury where it was horrendous," he added.

He believed that the cancellation rumour had been spread by youngsters on the Internet.

Sandra Wright, of Marshall's Amuzements, said the ground had been inspected and was too boggy. "Even if we to get on there and it then rains, getting off would be horrendous and likely to cause thousands of pounds damage, especially moving some of those 20 ton rides.

"We don't like doing it, but commonsense must prevail."

The gala kicks off at noon with the crowning of the gala queen in Keighley Town Hall Square, followed by the parade from Malsis Road to Victoria Park.