The organisers of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) have confirmed that this year's event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The convention has been running every year since 1970 and has exploded in popularity over the last 15 years thanks to many of the top cult TV shows and movie franchises attending in order to offer fans exclusive content.

This year's SDCC was due to run from July 23 to 26 but with no end to California's lockdown expected any time soon, the decision has been taken to axe the event.

In a statement, organisers said: "Recognising that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, [we] had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that Covid-19 concerns might lessen by summer.

"Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year."

At its peak, SDCC had around 167,000 attendees in 2015.