SWANAGE Jazz Festival is back on track for 2019, following doubts over the event's future.

The festival had been run by a local organising committee for 28 years, up until advancing age and deteriorating health forced the group to disband in 2017.

Esteemed jazz guitarist Nigel Price stepped into the breach last year, when he put on a highly-praised event. However, owing to professional commitments he was unable to take on the same role for 2019.

With the future of the popular event in doubt, a new nine-strong group of Swanage residents has now formed a new organising committee – ensuring the show will go on.

An initiative led by Swanage Mayor Mike Bonfield resulted in the committee's formation.

Cllr Bonfield said: "We stage over 60 events each summer in our picturesque town and the much-loved Swanage Jazz Festival plays an important role in maintaining the vibrancy and tourism offer we have.

"We are grateful to Nigel Price for the work he did and wish him our warmest thanks. We would have been very sorry to have seen the festival close.

"I am delighted that the council has managed to find and encourage a new group of residents to maintain this long-standing event that has proved so popular in the past.

"We look forward to seeing Swanage Jazz Festival grow back to a major event in the national jazz calendar over the years ahead."

Mr Price is working closely with the committee to facilitate a smooth handover.

Until the committee has secured venues for this year's festival, the 2019 programme cannot be confirmed.

Organisers have been working on securing venues as a priority before artists are booked.

The festival marquees on Sandpit Field, Swanage, have been a hallmark of the event in previous years. But these marquees will not be running in 2019, although the committee has not-ruled out their return in future years.

In recent years more than 50 bands have played the three-day festival.

One of the weekend highlights is the half-hour traditional brass band parade.