THE owner of a circus running in Basingstoke this week has been left dismayed after posters advertising the event were taken down.

Jay Miller, owner of Jay Millers Circus, has called on the people of the town to help spread the word about the show which is running throughout the half-term holidays, after its advertising campaign was hijacked.

Mr Miller told the Gazette: “The Jay Millers Circus, currently appearing at Milestones Museum, Basingstoke, has recently been subject to a severe loss of its advertising by a media company, entering shops and outlets that have agreed to display circus posters, stating that the circus is now cancelled and they would like to utilise the space to advertise their event.”

He added: “Not only is this a case of blatant lies and detrimental to our business, but totally denies freedom of choice of what the people of Basingstoke are able to visit, potentially meaning many families will miss out on traditional family entertainment during the half-term.”

The circus posted an appeal asking the public to share information about the event.

It added: “We can’t seem to understand why two or three individuals should be allowed to ruin this.”

The circus is showing in Basingstoke until Sunday, with performances at 3pm and 7pm daily Monday to Friday; 11am, 2pm and 5pm on Saturday; and 11am and 2pm on Sunday.

For more visit jaymillerscircus.co.uk.