OFFICIALS at a town centre hall are adamant that they are not to blame for a mix up which left a band locked out.

As reported in Monday's BEN, the Dodworth Band from Barnsley, Yorkshire ended up having an impromptu rehearsal in the Ridgway Gates Fish and Chip restaurant because they could not get into the Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street.

But Victoria Hall's administrator Ian Mitson is adamant that the band had made no booking with him to use the hall for a tune-up before competing in a national contest at Bolton's Albert Halls on Saturday.

He said: "I am very surprised by this. I have no records of any arrangement with them."

The only arrangement he had, he said, was with a band from Colchester. However, Dodworth band member Lisa O'Connor claims they were entitled to use the room. She said: "We share the same conductor with the Colchester band and we had arranged to share the room and share the costs. It may not have been booked in our name but we were definitely due to use it."

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