A NOMINAL charge for visitors to the Flower Show section of the Suffolk Show has been scrapped as organisers strive to make the event as accessible as possible to everybody, it was announced yesterday.

The move was praised by EADT columnist and countrywoman Peggy Cole, who said it was “wonderful”. Suffolk Agricultural Association’s Christopher Bushby said the lifting of the charge would cost it about �5,000 in revenues, but the association felt it was “very important” for visitors to be able to experience all of the show.

Honorary show president Lord Deben said: “I’m very pleased with this. I think it’s a very important thing and it reminds people this is something for everyone.”

But a controversial dog ban for show visitors, imposed last year, will remain, show officials said.

“We as an organisation understood it was a controversial decision,” said Mr Bushby. “Every year the police were having to break into cars to save dogs and that to us was unacceptable.”

“I think really it has been remarkable how few people have complained,” Lord Deben added. “We are never told about the very much larger number of people who found the show better because of that.”

The price of a family ticket bought in advance will remain at �40 for the show, which will feature a Sports Village, which has scooped an Inspire Mark and has benefited from �80,000 worth of investment over three years, and a display by Wattisham air base. The event, on June 7 and 8, will be filled with references and reminders of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. This year, it will be possible to print off online tickets for the show at home for the first time.