Bingley Jazz Festival will not be held this year, organisers have confirmed.

The announcement dashes hopes of the event credited with putting Bingley back on the jazz map from enjoying a third outing since its revival in 2004.

But festival promoters said they wanted the festival, which last year raised almost £3,000 for charity, to be back on track for 2007.

Allan Hillary, chairman of the festival committee, said: "It's on the back burner at the moment.

"The thing is, it's an awful lot of work to put the festival on and we are only a small band of part-timers.

"I must not decry the brilliant efforts of the team, but we were few and it became almost harrowing at times due to the amount of work required."

The life-long jazz fan and former Bradford councillor helped the festival's revival during his term as Lord Mayor of Bradford in 2004. Last year traditional and modern jazz bands played at three venues: a marquee at Bradford & Bingley Rugby Football Club, Baildon Hall and Bingley Parish Church.

But Mr Hillary said the team had found staging the festival, which took place over three days at Spring Bank Holiday, to be something of a gamble.

"Without the £12,000 of sponsorship from Bradford & Bingley we couldn't have even contemplated putting the festival on," said Mr Hillary.

"But it's a very costly thing hiring the marquee, proper sprung flooring, heating and lighting and paying the bands."

And he admitted that, despite a sell-out jazz ball on the Friday evening, visitor numbers did not quite hit the heights hoped for.

"We were in the low hundreds at each of the events, which was fewer than we wanted," he said.

"But with hindsight the timing of last year's festival wasn't great. It was on the Bank Holiday weekend and we found people tended to go away in search of a bit of sun.

"Getting the tickets into people's hands was difficult too. We were selling from the Council shop in Main Street, but could have done with more outlets."

But Mr Hillary said the festival had been good for Bingley, promoting what he said was a town centre revitalised by the relief road.

He said he was hopeful of the committee staging the festival next year.

"People are asking quite regularly when the festival will be on, so demand is there. I'm optimistic it will happen next year if people can rally round and help.

"It's a matter of committing yourself to nine months of hard work."

Bingley-raised Martin Boyd, who played the revived festival and its fore-runner in Myrtle Park with Kid Boyd's Swing Band, said he was disappointed about the break, but hoped it could be revived in 2007.