A RIVERSIDE festival is being touted as the key to unlocking Abingdon's untapped tourist traps.

Retired businessman James White is planning a four-day bonanza on the Thames to draw visitors to the town's waterside, and hopes it will be one of many.

The town centre resident, who is involved in several local community groups, said: "We are trying to plan a big event to celebrate Abingdon and the Thames and we want to do something really quite significant.

"We want exhibitions, talks and photos of what Abingdon used to be like, anda we want to feature history and wildlife of the Thames as well as staging many events on the water.

"We hope that it will become one of a number of festivals in Abingdon.

"We want it to bring people into the town. It could create quite an economic boost."

Mr White has set up a committee to help plan the River Thames Festival next year, which will utilise the riverbank as a social hub and not just a watersports site.

He added: "The river is a wonderful setting. We have access to it on both sides, which is almost unique along the Thames.

"There are already little events by local clubs but nothing significant."

It comes after Abingdon Town Council leader Sandy Lovatt urged people to plug the town as a leisure haven, rather than competing with Didcot and Newbury in the shopping stakes.

Mr Lovatt made the comment after the leaseholders of Abingdon's Charter area, Aberdeen Asset Management, pulled their £50m plans to revamp it.

Jan Morter, who is vice chairwoman of the town council's leisure and recreation committee, shared Mr White's enthusiasm.

She said: "It's a fantastic idea, especially as the Vale has decided we are not going to get investment for retail. With the tourism industry, festivals would be fantastic. I think the council would support it as far as they could."

She warned that the council is unlikely to be able to fund large events, especially because of expensive safety precautions needed at riversides, but hoped other individuals and groups would follow Mr White's lead.

She added: "We already have the bun throwing festival, which is terribly exciting. Thousands of people come to see it."

The quirky royal celebration, in which councillors shower crowds of people with buns from the top of County Hall Museum, is set to take over Market Place on June 11.

Mr White is no stranger to organising events in the town, having set up the annual Atom Festival, which celebrates science and technology in Abingdon.

He suggested the town could become a "mini Cheltenham", focusing on festivals to attract leisure-lovers.

He added: "There's already the Dragon Boat Festival but not a lot else. There is a lot of potential to make Abingdon really quite a draw.

"All the people I've spoken to about it so far are enthusiastic."

Festival fever is already spreading – Abingdon Music Festival is set to take over the town from Friday, the Nag's Head Spring Beer Festival was held at the weekend, and the six-day Abingdon Jazz Festival has announced it will run from May 17.

Mr White said his committee already has members from river user organisations, local businesses, and Vale of White Horse District Council on board.

They will discuss more concrete plans including date and location in the coming months, but it is hoped the first festival could be as soon as 2017.