DROIDS, stormtroopers and Dr Who will all be missing from the streets of Chippenham this year, as the Chippenham Sci-Fi Convention, which attracts thousands of people to the town including stars from TV and film, has been put on hold.

Organiser Martin Coates has decided not to hold a fourth event in 2017 because of the time and demands of staging the convention – but plans to return in 2018.

“I’m just having a rest from it this year because these things take up a lot of your time, it’s nothing more than that,” he said.

“We’re just having a think about what to do next year. It’s almost outgrown the venue and that’s one of the issues we’re thinking about, we’re looking at a bigger venue.

“It costs between £8,000-£10,000 to put on and we do get donations and sponsorship but I have to fund some of it myself and on the day we cover some of our costs and use the rest for charity.

“As with everything it goes up and costs more to do these things.

“I wouldn’t say people are upset but maybe they are disappointed, most people were aware we were thinking about not doing it this year.

“We have thousands of people come to the town and other than the folk festival and maybe the Christmas stuff it was getting to be one of the bigger events.”

Last year more than 2,000 people attended the convention in September, packing out Chippenham Town Hall and the Neeld, and the fun raised £5,000 for the Bath RUH Cancer Centre and the North Wiltshire Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Actors and actresses from films and TV series have attended, including former Doctor Who Colin Baker, Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett, Jeremy Bulloch, and Holly from Red Dwarf, Norman Lovett.

Simon Philpott, manager of the Chippenham BID, said: “It’s such a shame that this iconic event is not happening this year, it creates such a great atmosphere in the town.

“This is why we put on events such as our forthcoming Soap Box Derby, to bring the town together in a festival atmosphere.

“We shall be talking to Martin Coates to see how Chippenham Connected can support this event in future.”