THE team behind the popular Thai food “pop-up” venue on Bournemouth beach in recent summers has decided not to return this year.

Koh Group said it would “take a break” from running the Koh Lounge attraction this year, citing high rents for the site and a need to focus on expanding its restaurant business.

The lounge, between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers, had proved so popular during recent Air Festivals that it had expanded last year to run for three weeks.

Koh Group said the business had decided after “much consideration and negotiation” to “take a break from the alfresco dining experience on Bournemouth’s sandy shores in favour of the expansion of their core business”.

Chief executive Andrew Lennox said: "To ensure that we continue to give the very best experience and due to increased commitments of the core estate, we felt that the mammoth task to operate Koh Lounge was too great this year.

“With strict compliance procedures enforced by local authority and high pitch fees, we had to make the tough decision not to appear on the beach this summer.”

Koh Group said the lounge had been “an almighty success” over the past three years and it had been “inundated with booking enquiries” for this August.

Mr Lennox added: “2016 was always going to be a year of considerable growth for the core restaurant business and due to the latest openings and those in the pipeline, we were unable to turn our attentions to the events arm of the company this summer.

“It is with regret that we were unable to facilitate lounge this year as it is something which we and all staff involved have tirelessly built upon year on year and is something which we have an immense feeling of nostalgia about. It has become one of Bournemouth’s summer spectacles and we know that it will be missed.”

The Wallisdown-based company has opened three new restaurants this year, with another in the pipeline for December.

Mr Lennox said: "Whilst we are sad not to be holding Koh Lounge on the Beach this year, we are in awe of its supporters and the amount of requests that we have had for its return in 2016. I have absolutely no doubt that we will only take a single summer sabbatical and fully intend to return in full force next year.”