THE Paisley fireworks display has been called off due to safety risks posed by the expected wind direction.

But the full afternoon of free entertainment planned for the main stage in Gauze Street between noon and 6pm on Saturday will still go ahead as planned.

Council bosses have been advised the forecast wind direction and likely strong gusts on Saturday evening would make the fireworks display a risk to people and buildings.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Mark Macmillan said: "It is unfortunate that a key part of such a popular and well-attended event has had to be cancelled.

"But we are confident the decision is the right one and are sure that the planned live entertainment will still be a great day of free family fun.

"We have been studying the weather forecasts all week hoping the event could go ahead as planned, but we are not willing to take any risks with public safety.

"It was felt the day before was the best time to announce a postponement, as we didn't want to call it off at the last minute.

"The issue isn't with the possible rain - more that the wind direction and gusts on Saturday evening mean that we cannot guarantee nearby buildings might not be damaged."

The entertainment will start at noon with Clyde 1 DJs live on stage. Over the afternoon, acts set to appear include Scotland's X Factor star Emily Middlemas and the spectacular LED drummer of Spark! among others.

The Paisley Halloween Festival - due to take place on Friday night is not affected by the weather and will go ahead as planned.

Visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/events or follow council on social media at @RenCouncilNews on Twitter or /renfrewshirecouncil on Facebook for more information.