The Dorset County Show and Weymouth's Beach Volleyball Classic are the latest casualties of the coronavirus pandemic as the plug is pulled on various Dorset events this summer.

Organisers of the two day Dorset County Show, which was due to take place in September, say the decision to cancel was "incredibly difficult to make". It would have been the Show's 180th anniversary.

The Beach Volleyball Classic which was due to be held from July 24-26 on Weymouth Beach, has been running for 36 years and attracts the best beach volleyball players in GB and from across Europe.

The only other time it has been cancelled was in 2012 due to the Olympics.

The news follows an announcement yesterday that the four-day Camp Bestival music event, which was due to take place at the end of July at Lulworth Castle, will no longer go ahead amid continued social distancing guidelines.

It will return next year.

The news follows the announcement this week that another big Dorset summer event - the Bournemouth Air Festival - has been cancelled.

It is yet another blow to the tourism industry and means millions more pounds will be lost from the local economy.

In west Dorset, Lyme Regis’ seafront festival, Guitars on the Beach, the popular Jurassic Fields music festival, Bridport Carnival and Bridport’s wacky hat festival will not be going ahead this year.

These events join the Melplash Show, Bridport Food Festival and Bridport Round Table's Beer Festival in events that have been cancelled.

Weymouth, usually buzzing at this time of year, is also seeing events cancelled including the Wessex Folk Festival and Fayre in the Square, which would have been held this month, plus Chesil Rocks, the Armed Forces Celebrations, and the town's first pirate festival, all due to be held in June. July's Chickerell Steam and Vintage Show is also cancelled.

Numerous other sporting events, charity fundraisers, fetes and fairs have had to be cancelled. Weymouth Pavilion, host venue to a number of big shows and events, has had to postpone all performances until at least the end of June.

All is not lost though - the popular Quayside music festivals have been held online, and managed to raise funds for local causes while also giving people some free entertainment.

The 2020 Dorset Knob Festival, celebrating the famous biscuits, also went virtual this year with a knockout-style competition over Facebook Live.

What has become Weymouth's major event of the year, the Dorset Seafood Festival, which is held around Weymouth harbourside in July, is being moved to September, subject to government advice nearer the time.

It is hoped that a September festival can play an important role in a much-needed comeback for the tourism industry in Weymouth and Dorset.

"Visitors and partners can concentrate fully on staying safe, and can begin preparing for a spectacular celebration of all things seafood later in the year," a spokesman said.

As reported, a new committee has taken over the running of Weymouth Carnival after the event collapsed – but it was not their intention to put on an event this August, instead focusing on a big comeback carnival in 2021.

Organisers of the Great Dorset Steam Fair have had to cancel this year's event, which was due to take place at the end of August.