The future of events at Shrewsbury’s West Mid Showground cannot be guaranteed, the estate which owns the land said today.

The news means uncertainty for events such as the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, which has made the ground its home. The future of the Berwick Road venue has been thrown into doubt after the the Shropshire and West Midlands Agricultural Society went into liquidation.

The showground is owned by the Berwick Estate.

But the agents which arrange the leasing of the venue on behalf of the estate have said administrators will hold the lease while the company is wound up.

The news comes as it was announced a meeting of creditors is to take place on December 4 at the Prostar Stadium, in Shrewsbury.

Michael Watney, from Balfours, the agent acting on behalf of the Berwick Estate, said: “As the show society is in administration the administrator takes over the lease on the showground.

“The administrator is responsible for the terms of the lease so the decision making lies with them.”

He said once the company had been wound up the lease would be made available again to businesses.

He said: “We do hope someone will come along to enter into a new lease.

“Unfortunately when a lease ends because a company has gone into liquidation we are not able to confirm any future events.

“We are hoping it resolves itself and someone will take it on and it will be used for future events, hopefully as a showground, so those events can continue.”

Despite the uncertainty over the showground organisers from the Shrewsbury Folk Festival say they are hopeful it will return on August 27 to 30 next year.

Festival director Sandra Surtees said: “We are hoping it is going to continue at the West Mid Showground.

“We hope we will be still there in 2010.”

She said there had been a meeting about the event on Friday but it was too early to comment on a possible change of venue at the moment.

Yesterday it was revealed a deal to save the society from financial ruin came within moments of being struck until a VAT bill was uncovered which scuppered any rescue plan.