SOUTHAMPTON'S top pop event will be put in jeopardy if organisers are not allowed to put up fences on the city's historic Common, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Radio station bosses at Power FM say the Power in the Park festival should be staged behind closed doors for safety reasons in June 2004.

And they have hinted they would pull out of Southampton if they are not allowed to put up the barriers this year which would restrict the number of fans allowed into the event to 30,000.

Power FM bosses say that the fencing would be put up because of health and safety concerns. They have also stressed that there are no "concrete" plans to charge fans in 2005.

City leisure chiefs, the police, Power FM and the ambulance service are due to hold a crunch meeting to discuss the proposals on Monday.

The latest twist to the saga emerged at a meeting of the City Council's leisure scrutiny panel yesterday.

Leisure chief Councillor Peter Wakeford said that there was a "consideration that the event could be taken elsewhere" if fencing was not put up.

Paul Maw-son, head of leisure, culture and tour-ism in the city, told members the council needed to look at every possible way to secure the event in Southampton and to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible.

He said: "If the only way to ensure that is to ensure a charge can be levied that is a consideration we as a council will have to make."

Deputy chairman of the scrutiny panel and former leisure boss Councillor Derek Burke said he had concerns how the event would be policed if fencing was put up.

He said: "It is an enjoyable event for thousands of kids. We have only had one serious accident there during the time it was running.

"This action smacks of commercialism from an organisation that suddenly wants to charge for it."

Power FM spokesman Sophie Fenning confirmed that it was "very unlikely" that the event would go ahead this year if fences were not put up.

She said: "We are looking to fence it for health and safety reasons. That is why we are having such close discussions with Hampshire Police and Southampton City Council to make sure we are all happy with the plans this year."

If charging was introduced in 2005 it would be a "nominal" amount but a final decision had not yet been reached.