CLACTON Airshow will go ahead as planned this week.

The event, which takes place on Thursday and Friday, was given clearance by the Civil Aviation Authority without any changes to its flight programme.

The annocement comes as a host of air shows have been forced to alter their schedules after the aviation regulator introduced tough new restrictions following the Shoreham plane crash.

The Civil Aviation Authority has banned "vintage jets", which is believed to mean jets built before the mid-1960s, from carrying out high-energy acrobatics after a Hawker Hunter jet crashed in a fireball on the A27 in West Sussex on Saturday, killing 11 people.

Neil Stock, leader of Tendring Council, which runs the Clacton Airshow, said: “No one will – or would want to – forget or play down in any way the tragic events of the weekend at Shoreham and our thoughts are with all those involved.

“However, we have a two day airshow to put on with around 200,000 people expected to turn up and that has to be our primary focus at this time, along with the safety of those taking part and watching.

“We are delighted that our plans for the event have stood up to scrutiny and have now been officially signed off.”

Tendring Council said that the Clacton Airshow has taken place for the past 23 years without incident to date.

The Hawker Hunter which crashed at Shoreham was not due to appear at Clacton on either day of the event.

There are restrictions now in place for vintage jet aircraft displaying over land, but this does not apply to Clacton where the airshow takes place over the sea.