BUDDING young performers will be charged up to £5 to enter the popular Global Rock Challenge festival as organisers battle to plug a financial gap.

The foundation behind the annual festival that showcases some of the county's best young talent was predicting a shortfall of £100,000 after sponsors pulled out.

Although some supporters have come forward after an appeal in the Daily Echo, more money is needed to bridge the gap.

So organisers have opted to charge an entry fee of £5 per head to cover the costs of staging the event for 11 to 18-year-olds.

Be Your Best Foundation, the charity behind the festival that promotes an anti-drugs message, defended the decision.

General manager David Beal said: "The money to make up the shortfall has been found by a combination of new sponsors, cutting back our costs and introducing the entry fee. So far we have not had any schools say they are unable to take part because of it.

"We have said that we will consider exempting those schools who feel they are not able to pay the entry fee if they are able to justify it. Also we will not be charging schools that are entering for the first time."

But the idea has been met with opposition from participating schools and Hampshire Police Authority that supports the festival's anti-drug message.

Members of the authority said they would be opposed to any charge being imposed to make up the shortfall.

Isle of Wight magistrate Judi Griffin said: "If an entry fee were charged it would become an elitist event and would put people off who could not afford it.

"That is not what Rock Challenge is about. It would be a very bad step indeed to charge £5."

Her views were echoed by Richard Schofield, head teacher at Redbridge Community School, whose pupils regularly participate in the festival that celebrates the message of having a good time without the influence of drugs.

He said: "I would be very concerned about charging the children to enter.

"It takes a tremendous effort as it is to cover the cost of the costumes, transport and staging so it would be extremely difficult to find the extra money to cover an entry fee as well.

"I do not think that some of the parents of the 100 children who have entered the challenge every year since it started could afford the extra money. I would have serious doubts about our ability to enter the Rock Challenge if we had to find an extra £500 to enter."