BANDS from across the country have been signing up for Newsquest's Local Heroes competition but there is still time for Bolton groups to make their mark.

Unsigned musicians could join the likes of local bands Out of the Gray, The Endorphins and Fade in battling for a prize that could see them catapulted to stardom.

The winners of the competition will play at six of this summer's music festivals, and be given their own tour manager and PR agent, roadies and backstage crew. They will also be followed by photographers and a video crew, and be given extensive coverage in the press and online.

To enter, bands simply register their songs on the website, www.boltoneveningnews.co.uk/localheroes, where fans can vote for their favourite tracks.

Songs can be downloaded as mp3s or realtones, or visitors can vote by text message.

The competition has been organised by Newsquest, the parent company of the Bolton Evening News.

Ross Purdie, editor of VirtualFestivals.com, who are a partner in running the competition, said: "The benefits and value for any band registering with Local Heroes are plain to see just look at websites such as MySpace, which have helped bands as huge as Arctic Monkeys on their rapid rise to fame.

"The pinnacle of this idea lies in the ultimate prize; the festival tour. Because no matter how many gigs or concerts you might have played from a sweaty back room in your local pub to the Royal Albert Hall there's nothing quite like playing in front of an excitable festival crowd as the sun beats down on the stage." Local Heroes is supported by Yamaha Music, the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments; Bandwagon, the internet home of unsigned bands; Virtual Festivals, the online festivals site for fans; and Roundpoint, the leading mobile content provider.

Voting starts on June 1, and bands are being urged to sign up soon in order to receive more pre-publicity.