Organisers of a popular open-air drama festival have been told they cannot use Brighton's Royal Pavilion Gardens for a repeat performance next year.

This summer's second Brighton Shakespeare Festival suffered a series of mishaps, including the last-minute withdrawal of ex-Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw.

Organisers have insisted the productions of As You Like It and Hamlet still attracted sell-out audiences and positive reviews.

But Brighton and Hove City Council has refused them permission to use the Royal Pavilion Gardens again next year.

Festival director Robert J Williamson believes it was a knee-jerk reaction to negative publicity surrounding minor problems beyond his control and Ms Shaw's absence.

She pulled out two days before her first appearance as Celia in As You Like It, saying she was too exhausted to learn her lines.

Film actress Emily Lloyd, who played Ophelia in Hamlet, later confessed to suffering "mental health problems" which affected her performances.

Mr Williamson paid £16,000 to stage and market the festival, £7,000 for 24-hour security around the gardens and was charged £536 to keep the nearby toilets open at night.

He denied suggestions he had not wanted to return to Brighton, insisting he dearly wanted to use the Pavilion Gardens again.

He said: "I'm very upset. We've produced two very successful festivals in Brighton and we wanted to return.

"I've heard nothing but praise from people who came. We offered refunds when Tracy Shaw pulled out but only one person came for one.

"We started with 150 people at the first night but ended up selling out with 600 people each night.

"Obviously in those gardens you will get noise from people passing but it is open-air theatre. And the Pavilion is a magical backdrop and setting."

He said they would investigate putting the plays on elsewhere, possibly at Preston Park.

His firm staged their first Shakespeare Festival in Brighton last year, featuring Wayne Sleep in A Midsummer Night's Dream And Romeo and Juliet.

A council spokeswoman said: "Because of the scale and the nature of the problems both sides experienced during the past two years, we have suggested the organisers find an alternative venue.

"The Royal Pavilion's gardens are historic and have been restored to their original Regency planting.

"Unfortunately it has taken the gardens a long time to recover from this event. We felt we had no alternative but to decline."