MUSICIANS are to picket Fareham's Christmas pantomime because promoters are using pre-recorded music for the second consecutive Christmas.

Members from the Musicians' Union will hand out leaflets outside Ferneham Hall on the opening night of Snow White - starring Home And Away's Judy Nunn and former Generation Game hostess Isla St Clair - on December 19.

They claim audiences will miss out on watching a true traditional pantomime and they will be left with no seasonal winter income.

Derek Dod, branch secretary, said: "We want the public to join us and push for the return of live musicians."

He added: "Snow White is a live show. You have to have a live band playing with live actors and actresses in a pantomime."

Their protest is part of a nationwide campaign started after the Daily Echo revealed the use of pre-recorded music in Dick Whittington at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre.

Mr Dod, a keyboard player who runs Casemates rehearsal studio in Portsmouth, said many musicians relied on pantomimes to top up their income.

"It's quite a sizeable chunk of their working year. Suddenly having that work taken away is quite hard on them."

He added: "Young people will just accommodate pre-recorded music because they don't know anything different.

"But older people will want to see the pantomimes they remember. "There will still be the same traditional calls of 'he's behind you' but it's not the same without musicians."

Production companies save money by using pre-recorded music but according to Bob Wearn, general secretary at the Musicians' Union, the saving is rarely reflected in ticket pricing.

He said: "More often than not. The saving will disappear straight into the pockets of the production company involved."

Russell Davies, head of arts and entertainment at Fareham Borough Council, said He said: "If we had to pay for musicians we might not be able to afford to put the show on and a lot of people would be very disappointed."