Ashby de la Zouch Town Council says the full effect of Coronavirus lockdown on the town is impossible to measure.

Most of the events due to be held, in what was to have been a huge year for Ashby, have been wiped out by the Government's restrictions.

Now there are fears that all of the plans for 2020 could disappear with the latest warning that social distancing measures could be in place until next year.

And that could even mean the cancellation of the centuries-old annual Ashby Statutes fair which celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2019.

Town Council officials accept that everyone is in the same position.

But there are events that cannot be repeated such as next month's planned 75th Anniversary of VE Day celebrations which were due to be held at the Bath Grounds.

"It's going to be one that you can't really measure," said Ashby de la Zouch Town Council's Town Centre manager Stuart Benson.

"How do you calculate what you've lost? You can't calculate each stallholder and what they would roughly have expected to have taken from an event, and as for the wider impact I don't know how we would calculate that.

"Let's say a family comes to an event, but then go into the town and use the shops.

"There is a massive knock-on effect on what footfall it would create in the town with an event being on.

"You'll never know the true impact, but it is large and as a tourist destination, the town is suffering, as everywhere is.

"It's not a unique thing for us of course it's affecting everybody, and it's how long these affects will be felt as well."

There are also concerns for the long-term economy of the town.

Stuart added: "We don't know what the state of the retailers will be this time next year.

"It's the same with the pubs, they'll be the last things to reopen in reality. And we don't know when that will be and it certainly won't be any time soon, it could even be Christmas time.

"I know everybody is desperate to have a party of course, and we would love nothing more to be able to do that. But we have to follow guidance and social distancing. And until such time as there is an official announcement, we can't do anything.

"But we hope, as a town, we can rebuild and come back bigger and stronger with a bigger line up for 2021.†