THIS year’s Bowood Charity Dog Show and Summer Fair on June 21 will be the final running of the event, it has been announced.

The family day out, which raises funds for charities serving the people of Wiltshire, has raised just under £250,000 since its inception ten years ago.

However, the time and money needed to put on the annual show means the tenth edition, running from 10am to 5pm in June, will be the last at Bowood.

Show organiser, Mike Weston, said: “We have had ten good years and we’re hoping to get to £300,000.

“It’s becoming more difficult (to run), we have to raise the funds to put on the show and it gets more and more difficult to do that, and that’s before we try to get people there. It takes up at least a week beforehand (to organise).”

The Dog Show will once again comprise family and fun classes, with companion classes for pedigree dogs, all being held under Kennel Club rules as well as several have a go events in which visitors and their dogs can take part .

For the final show, some old favourites will be making one last appearance, including the Essex Dog Display Team, Joseph’s Amazing Racing Pigs, Olivants Equine ‘Big & Little’ and Bill Galpin’s Racing Terriers.

But the old dog will have some new tricks with a Bake It Big Productions show including celebrity bakers Christine Wallace and Glenn Cosby plus chef Richard Hunt.

Admission on the day will be £10 for adults and £5 for children between two and 16 with children under two going free. Carers accompanying wheelchair users will also be free. Advance tickets are available until June 8 from the Bowood website are £8 for adults and £4 for children with family tickets, not available on the day, at £20.