LYMINGTON Seafood Festival is on the menu again this year after the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions.

The hugely-popular festival has been pushed back to the end of the month and will now be spread over three days to enable better social distancing.

It will be held at Bath Road, Lymington, on August 29-31, having originally been due to take place earlier in the month.

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The festival normally attracts around 15,000 people and is said to be worth more than £600,000 to the local economy.

This year's event will look very different, with extra seating, smaller bars and other measures to enable families and those in "social bubbles" to stay safe.

New for 2020 is a fine dining pop-up restaurant led by celebrated chef Ian Gibbs, whose awards include Rioja Chef of the Year and more recently Dorset and Hampshire Chef of the Year.

Ian has also cooked for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the annual Maundy Thursday ceremony at Gloucester Cathedral.

Event organiser Richard Nowell said: “We're obviously delighted to be staging our annual festival and look forward to working with police and the district council with our preparations.

"We will be investing in a wide range of health and safety measures that we see in pubs or at other attractions. However, the weekend will still have a ‘festival’ feel with great live music and almost every type of seafood imaginable.

"Locals are excited about the event going ahead.

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"However, we also anticipate people coming from a little further away and spending both time and money, giving the local economy a much-needed boost after the tough times businesses have had.”

The event will feature around 70 stands selling a huge range of seafood delicacies guaranteed to tackle tastebuds.

Entertainment will be provided by bands and artists from across the south.

The previously-free festival will be ticketed to comply with track-and-trace requirements and help meet the costs associated with additional cleaning.

Tickets must be bought in advance. They cost £5 for adults but children under the age of 16 will go free.