The Brighton Lions club has cancelled its annual carnival after last year's event failed to attract the crowds.

The club pulled the plug on its annual event when it raised just £4,000 for local charities, a fraction of previous amounts.

Secretary Bruce Nunn said the event used to draw up to 25,000 people but only about 7,000 attended last year.

He said: "There was the free Fatboy Slim concert on the beach which didn't help and took our crowds away.

"We had a lot of aggravated stallholders saying they were not making a profit and if they don't make a profit, neither do we.

"If events are being held on the seafront then that's where we need to be in future, not on our own."

The 38-year-old carnival was usually held in July at Preston Park, Brighton.

It featured a procession of floats along the seafront and about 150 stalls and funfair rides.

But the procession had to be cancelled last year after failing to attract company sponsors.

President Brian Slater said: "We have been finding it more and more difficult to make money from the carnival.

"It's expensive for companies to make up the floats and then there is the cost of insuring the lorries.

"There are many regulations regarding stewarding the event and the cost of putting on an arena display was more expensive.

"Costs have been going up while profits go down."

The end of the carnival comes just months after another famous seafront parade was axed.

In November, the Same Sky community arts group announced the end of Burning the Clocks after no sponsor could be found.

Mr Slater said club members were sad to see the end of the carnival but were working on new fund-raising ideas.

He said: "Even though the carnival has had its day, we're putting our thinking caps on to see what the general public will want to take part in.

"The Lions introduced the first carnival to Brighton and the first bingo so we're looking for another first."