A popular military aviation museum in the Maldon district has announced the cancellation of part of its New Year's Day celebrations due to Covid.

Residents are invited to the Museum of Power in Langford on 1 January each year to crank up the engines and celebrate the blessing of the fruit trees, known as the ancient tradition of wassailing.

This year, however, the wassail will not take place due to participants pulling out because of Covid.

A spokesperson for the Museum of Power said: "Unfortunately due to entertainers having to cancel because of Covid, the wassail celebration on New Year's Day cannot take place.

"However the museum will still be open with engines running, our model village will be open and we are hoping to run trains on our miniature railway - weather permitting - so crank up is still going ahead."

Marshall the Lilleshall pumping engine will be running on compressed air, while some of the museum's other engines will also be running on air.

The café will be open for food alongside hot and cold drinks.

Dogs on leads are welcome.

Tickets cost £7 each for adults, £6 for concessions and £3 for children over five years old.

You can find the Museum of Power on Hatfield Road in Langford, Maldon.