THE new-look Lyme Regis carnival has been a big hit this year but organisers say they are disappointed with the amount of money raised through collections.

Compliments have been flooding in from visitors who have given the thumbs-up to the new programme - now with two processions and two fireworks displays.

But the amount of cash going in to collecting tins is down this year, with Saturday's collection barely covering the cost of the spectacular fireworks at the Cobb.

Carnival committee secretary Paul Bohane said: "We hope the public will be more generous tomorrow (Saturday), otherwise we will have to think very seriously about whether we will mount fireworks in the future."

Mr Bohane said he suspected that an "economic slow down" was responsible for the tightening of purse strings. "Many activities don't cost us anything and we are happy to do these, but when we have to spend big sums of money on things like the fireworks, we do need to recoup that."

It was only because of the generosity of the Cobb Traders, who underwrote Saturday's display, said Mr Bohane, that the committee had been able to go ahead with it in the knowledge that it wouldn't cost them.

Money aside, the new schedule has been greeted with much praise and there are still tomorrow's second helping of fireworks, the torchlight procession and the popular Samba band to come.