A POPULAR farm funday has had to be cancelled — because too many people wanted to go.

The Wellbeing Farm in Edgworth planned to host its third Open Farm Sunday and family fun day on June 5.

However after publicising the event on Facebook, more than 8,300 people expressed interest in attending and 1,500 said they would be attending.

But with the event still a month away, Celia Gaze, founder and managing director, said she had to make the "hard decision" to cancel the event as the farm is not geared up for so many guests.

She added: "It is an awful shame. It's almost like a reverse situation as usually events cancel due to not enough numbers.

"But with a month still to go before the event and so many thousands of people interested in coming I was concerned that the numbers would keep growing and we are just not set up to deal with it."

Last year the event was attended by 2,000 people. Despite the farm - which launched as a wedding venue in 2014 - doubling its car park, spaces were still limited.

Mrs Gaze added: "Plantation Street is only a small lane and the numbers last year caused problems on the roads.

"There wouldn't be enough car parking spaces for people and we could not cater effectively for the necessary amenities including toilets, health and safety, policing and emergency services.

"We are also more so a wedding venue than a working farm now and and we have put a lot of work into our barn and fields ensuring they are in a top lawn like condition for wedding photographs and visitors and the grass would have been churned up."

There is just one farm — Whitegate Farm in Bolton — opening in the Greater Manchester region for Open Farm Sunday.

The event is an opportunity for people to see first hand what it means to be a farmer, see how food is produced and get up close to some of the farmyard animals.

Mrs Gaze said: "It is quite shocking that only one farm in the whole of the Greater Manchester area is taking part.

"It is a valuable event for farmers to raise their profile and show what they do and more should be opening their gates.

"We were so popular because the public clearly do have an interest in farming and where their food is coming from.

"It's a very popular topic.

"Unfortunately we won't be taking part again, as our business has taken a new direction, but I would appeal to other farmers to back the event."