BRADFORD’S next World Curry Festival, due to take place in October, has been postponed until 2018.

The festival has become a mainstay of the city’s events calendar since it began eight years ago, but founder and director Zulfi Karim said they had “decided to take a gap year”.

He said: “The last few years have been relentless both here in the UK and abroad for the festival, and it was time to recharge ourselves and the brand.

“It’s important, like any other business, that you take time out to plan and focus on the product for your visitors and partners and that’s exactly what we will doing. As well as travelling looking for new recipe ideas, we will be able to spend more time planning and come back better than ever in 2018.

“We have some exciting ideas for developing the festival and extending it to a new audience and we’re looking forward to bringing those to fruition.”

Mr Karim thanked all the members of the public who had been asking him about dates for this year’s festival “for their kind interest and good wishes”.

He added: “They won’t have too long to wait and we hope next year’s event will be the best yet.”