FEARS animal rights protesters would target a village school have caused a charity fun day and Red Arrows fly-past to be cancelled.

The event, in aid of the Tunbridge Wells and District Working Age Parkinson's Group, was supposed to have been held at Brenchley and Matfield Primary School on Saturday.

But organiser Tony Potter and his fellow school governors made an 11th-hour decision to cancel.

The school and the charity cited "safety fears" but the Courier understands it followed Mr Potter – a governor and chairman of the Parkinson's group – receiving threatening phone calls ahead of the event.

Last week, Tonbridge-based group Animal Aid launched a national campaign for people to withhold donations to four major charities – including Parkinson's UK – because they conducted medical research on animals.

Animal Aid was not involved in the calls to Mr Potter.

Spokesman Andrew Tyler said: "That is not the nature of our campaign, there is no need for that kind of alarm at all.

"This is an educational campaign."

A school statement said: "While the school will continue to support a variety of charitable organisations, our first priority is safety."

Paul Jackson Clark, director of fundraising for Parkinson's UK, said: "It is disappointing for all concerned that this event has been cancelled but we fully understand the decision. Safety must come first."

The school PTA has now hurriedly reorganised its traditional fun day, which had originally made way for Saturday's event.

The fun day takes place tomorrow (Saturday) between 3 and 6pm at the school in Market Heath, Brenchley.