One of Brighton and Hove's biggest music events has been forced to leave the city because of foot-and-mouth.

The Essential Festival will no longer be staged at its traditional home in Stanmer Park, neighbouring Sussex University, which has been closed in a bid to protect nearby livestock.

Park managers could not guarantee the site would be opened in time for the summer while there was still a threat of the disease spreading.

The Stanmer Horse Driving Trials in May, which are attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, have also been cancelled and the future of the Kite Festival in July is still in doubt.

The Essential Festival, which has been held in Brighton since 1991, will now be held at an urban site at Hackney Marshes in north-east London in July.

Thousands of revellers had been expected to flock to the two-day event, featuring Brighton and Hove DJ Norman Cook, alias Fatboy Slim.

A festival spokeswoman said: "We are absolutely gutted. We don't want to move the event to London but we don't have a choice.

"There is no other site down here that could facilitate such an event.

"Foot-and-mouth is not in Sussex at the moment and we want to keep it that way. We would not want to do anything which might encourage the disease to spread."

She said there would also have been a problem insuring the event and selling tickets while the availability of the site was still in doubt.

Ish Ali, event organiser, said: "Although we'll be sad to leave Brighton, the foot-and-mouth crisis obviously takes priority.

"Thanks to the local authorities in London, Hackney Marshes offers us a chance to continue with the festival and the extra space will also allow more fans to see our line-up, which as ever, will offer the best of dance and roots entertainment."

Promoters made the decision following discussions with Brighton and Hove City Council which runs the park.

A council spokesman said: "We are disappointed. It's an event we like to stage because it gives local young people something to do. It also brings people into the city who spend money. It would have made a contribution to local businesses."