Sheep Day in Skipton will not take place this year – because of a clash with the Tour de France.

The annual event, concentrated on Skipton High Street, normally takes place on the first Sunday of July.

Because the Grand Depart of the Tour, which is scheduled to come through the centre of town on Saturday, July 5, Skipton Town Council, which organises the event, has decided it would be too much.

Dave Parker, council chief officer, said: “The council’s Town Centre Management team simply don’t have the time or resources to take this on in addition to preparing for Le Tour.”

The Tour de France – billed as the world’s largest annual sporting event – is predicted to attract around two million extra visitors to Yorkshire over the two days it will be in the county.

On the Saturday, cyclists will race up Skipton High Street as part of the route between Leeds and Harrogate and they will also be in the area on the second day as the cyclists make their way from York to Sheffield.

Mr Parker said the management team would take the opportunity to review Sheep Day and promised it would be back in 2015.

“We will be reviewing what takes place on Sheep Day, which is a very popular event, and it will return next year – hopefully as a bigger two-day weekend festival.”

He added that on the Sunday the event would have taken place this year, there would be a number of non-cycling related activities as part of the whole Tour de France weekend and added: “They will include walk-in movies and plenty of street entertainment on the High Street, where there will also be a special Skipton Market.”