A major West Cumbrian festival is under threat after police have demanded a last-minute review of its licence.

Solfest organisers will have to go before Allerdale council on Monday after Cumbria police said they had breached its licence.

The three-day event, at Tarns, near Aspatria, is due to take place from August 26 to 28.

Cumbria Constabulary claims the festival committee has breached the licence by not providing an event management plan with sufficient detail in enough time.

The panel has the power to revoke the festival’s licence and stop it going ahead. It can also modify the licence’s conditions, removed the premises supervisor, suspend the licence for three months or exclude a licensable activity from the licence.

In a report to members, Superintendent Gary Slater said: “It is the submission of Cumbria Constabulary that the event organisers are unable to satisfy the event safety group or the constabulary that they have the plans, capacity and capability to maintain public safety, protect children from harm, prevent crime and disorder and prevent public nuisance.”

The report added that at last year’s festival, officers saw “a number” of incidents and issues which gave cause for concern under the licencing objectives.

Instead of reviewing the licence then, Supt Slater said, police worked with organisers.

The report added: “The event safety group has met regularly with the event organisers since January and agreed a revised premises licence which clearly set out the documentation required from the event organisers and a timetable for their production.

“Unfortunately the event organisers have failed to meet the agreed timetable for the production of essential documentation.”

Tom Kay, director of the three-day festival, said: “I’m disappointed Cumbria Constabulary is objecting to our application after they were happy with the conditions of the licence earlier this year.”

Police said the original timescale was extended by four weeks and a meeting and table-top exercise to test the plan was scheduled for July 6, but Solfest failed to attend.

Mr Kay said no attempt was made by police to accommodate committee members’ availability.

He added: “All committee members dedicate their time to organise Solfest on a voluntary basis and we all have full-time jobs.

“I’m confident we’ll be able to satisfy any request to prove our capability and competence in delivering a safe event, like we’ve been doing for over a decade.”

The panel meets at Allerdale House in Workington on Monday at 2.30pm.