Television word game Lingo is being dropped after 25 years because it no longer attracts a worthwhile audience.

Lingo, which involves guessing words of five letters, was shifted to public broadcaster Nederland 2 in January. Since then the show has seen its viewing public half to around 400,000.

Lingo is broadcast four days a week and will be broadcast for the last time in September.

Fans of the show have been quick to launch a Facebook page calling on the public broadcaster AvroTros to reconsider.

According to broadcaster Nos, Lingo’s supporters include Ed Nijpels, a former VVD MP, and the chairman of AvroTros, who is planning to ask the programme director to reconsider.