A FESTIVAL celebrating all things mechanical is to close after bringing joy to hundreds of thousands over four decades.

Organisers of Brighton Modelworld have announced that this February’s event at The Brighton Centre was the last because of dropping attendance figures and financial pressures.

It was the 38th annual show of model railways, boats, cars, aeroplanes and robots which regularly attracts crowds of more than 10,000.

The popular event’s organisers have urged fans not to forget them and hope to revive the event in a different format in the future.

Organisers said doubts over the event's future grew after the 2015 event saw attendances dip below the 10,000 visitor mark which they had held as one of the main indicators to measure the success of the show.

The organisers group and the Brighton Centre then invested heavily in terms of time and finance to see a successful recovery for this year with more than 10,500 visitors attending the event.

Unfortunately organisers said that even with the increase in attendance numbers, the event still did not reach a position of commercial viability.

Organisers then began looking for a new venue after the available dates to use their traditional home of the Brighton Centre next year fell outside of half term and clashed with the Brighton Half Marathon which would have hit visitor numbers.

A search for an alternative venue both within the city and in nearby towns including Eastbourne and Worthing proved fruitless as organisers were unable to find “a suitable and affordable venue” that could accommodate popular attractions including a truck arena, boat pool and raceway.

In a statement, Modelworld organisers said: “It is with great regret that Modelworld Organising Group have to announce that Modelworld 2017 will not go ahead as previously planned.

“The show has seen declining visitor numbers for many years, something that is being repeated all over the country by model shows.

“Modelworld Organising Group has spent considerable time and effort exploring other venue options, both within the city, and within the wider locality.

“However, trying to find a suitable and affordable venue that will allow us to maintain the attractions that make Modelworld unique are well out of our price range without significant support from outside sources.

“Please do not forget us, we are not disappearing completely – there is always the possibility the phoenix can rise from the ashes with a new, albeit different, show in the future.”