Disappointed organisers of this year's floundering Lord Mayor's Appeal have had to cancel a second major event due to a lack of interest.

Plans for a high-profile sponsored walk at Valley Parade on Sunday have been scrapped after only 30 people got in touch to request sponsorship forms.

The poor response was despite an offer of a chance to meet Bradford City players, win a seat in a hospitality box and free gym weekends for all over 16s taking part.

Organisers had hoped the walk would attract crowds of supporters and had kept fingers crossed it would have been one of the appeal's biggest money-makers yet.

Appeal officer Alexis Jenner said the fund raising team were "mystified" as to why the walk had proved a flop. Posters and leaflets were sent out across the district well in advance to community centres, groups and schools but failed to stir up enough support.

Bradford's Lord Mayor, Councillor Irene Ellison-Wood, today said she was "bitterly disappointed" that the event had to be cancelled.

She said the appeal in aid of the Arthritis Research Campaign and Manorlands hospice at Oxenhope would lose out as a result.

"It's a great shame the event has had to be cancelled, but I'd like to thank all those who signed up to take part and Bradford City for their support," she said. "I hope people will come to the remaining events so we can raise as much money as possible for these deserving charities."

Kathryn Leveritt, area manager for Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) and one of the walk's main organisers, said: "We are all hugely disappointed at the lack of support but obviously we'll carry on supporting the appeal in other ways and hope people will give us more backing."

In October a black-tie dinner at East Riddlesden Hall was shelved after only 50 out of 100 tickets were sold. Earlier this month, Coun Ellison-Wood pleaded for more support for her appeal after revealing only £23,000 had been raised. The total now stands at £30,000. She said people had rightly been focusing their generosity on the Asian tsunami appeal but admitted she was "devastated" by the relatively small amount raised for her own appeal.

With less than three months remaining in office she renewed her appeal to the district's public to dig deep for the charities. Last year's civic appeal by then Lord Mayor Allan Hillary raised more than £100,000 for Ilkley's Nell Bank Activity Centre and the Bradford Outward Bound Association.

Tickets for the next event, the Roaring Twenties Civic Ball at the Hilton Hotel in Bradford on April 16, cost £35 including dinner and are available on (01274) 434965.