River festival organiser John Clark stands to lose up to £5,000 of his own money but says the event was worth every penny.

Mr Clark was prepared to re-mortage his house if he had to to underwrite the festival which brought about 3,000 people to the town’s riverbank on Saturday and Sunday. But the crowd was not big enough to allow the festival to break even and, when bills are finally totalled, he expects to lose up to £5,000.

He said: “It could have been much, much worse. I was prepared to put my money where my mouth is and, as chairman of the Vision For Chippenham, I was delighted with the event.

“I know it is going to cost me money but I was prepared for that.”

The retired Westinghouse director said his wife Jane was firmly behind the commitment they had made and he is prepared to do the festival again next year.

“We put it all together in a matter of weeks and everyone seemed to have a really great time.

“If we have a whole year to plan it can be even better,” he said.

In Malmesbury there are also money worries after the carnival’s Party In The Park failed to draw the crowd that organisers had hoped for.

Instead of more than 3,000, only a few hundred came to the two days of music.

The policing bill alone was expected to be £11,500 but it was reduced after so few people turned up.