Sussex could be the site for a record-breaking picnic as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee next year.

Operation Picnic is a series of picnics which will be held throughout the South East to promote local dishes and produce which will culminate in a picnic festival at the South of England Showground in Ardingly on Sunday August 18.

It is hoped the event will be the biggest picnic held in Britain.

Communities from Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Berkshire will take part and in the run-up to the August finale, showcase their produce at picnics throughout May, June and July.

The individual events will be judged for taste, quality, presentation and the use of the Jubilee theme, with cash prizes for the winner in each county.

Local communities are being invited to complete an application form outlining how the prize money would be used to benefit their community.

Each event must include meat products, fish, vegetables, dairy, fruit and beverages. Every applicant will be given a list of local food producers in their county.

The winning community from each county will be invited to compete for the overall prize by reproducing its highest scoring dish.

Deborah Barber, director of the South of England Agricultural Society, said: "As Her Majesty the Queen is our patron we wanted to mark her jubilee year with something special which will appeal to all ages.

"We are certain the picnic festival will promote the excellent food produced in our region and at the same time raise awareness of the need for supporting regional food producers and boosting the rural economy."

The sponsors of the event are the South East Food Group Partnership and the South of England Agricultural Society and district councils across the region.

Anyone who wants to join the event should obtain an application form from The South of England Agricultural Society, The South of England Centre, Ardingly, West Sussex, RH17 6TL or telephone 01444 892700.