THE Royal International Air Tattoo has been declared a washout tomorrow.

Organisers made the decision to cancel Saturday's showpiece event at RAF Fairford following heavy rainfall over the last two days.

The decision was taken on health and safety grounds due to the air base's car park being flooded and heavy waterlogging on the airfield itself.

Air Tattoo director Tim Prince said it was the first time the Air Tattoo had ever had to cancel one of its days in its 38-year history.

He said: "It is with great regret that we had to take the decision to cancel the airshow on the Saturday but the safety of the public is paramount.

"When it became clear that we could not guarantee the safety of the many thousands of people who had bought tickets for Saturday, the decision to cancel was straightforward.

"We are aware of the inconvenience our decision will have on the many thousands of people who have bought tickets for the Saturday but the potential risk of there being significant difficulties on the roads, in our car parks on the airbase itself were too high."

The show is expected to go ahead at this stage, but it will be only for holders of tickets valid for Sunday.

A final decision on Sunday's programme will be announced by 4pm on Saturday.

Organisers say Saturday tickets will not be valid for Sunday.

Refund details for tickets bought for tomorrow can be found on the Royal International Air Tattoo website at www.airtattoo.com. For further enquiries contact refunds@rafcte.com.