May 8, 2008 11:29

Music festival canceled after fears of violence

Bash pulled after biker's death incites fears

The Custom Rock and Blues Festival, which had been set to take place in August in Derbyshire, has been axed after a biker's death raised fear of possible violence.

Organisers for the festival withdrew an application for a licence – a decision based on fears of revenge attacks occurring relating to the death of Hell's Angels biker Gerard Tobin last August.

Tobin was shot dead on the M40 motorway.

According to BBC News, 15,000 people were set to attend the gig, which has a strong biker following.

Organisers said they had not received any specific threats of violence, saying: "We have a duty to customers, employees and the general public to take very seriously any representations made by the police based on intelligence which they have, no matter how sensationalised we believe it to have been."

Police said that the organisers had made the right decision, calling them "sensible".