A TROUPE is singing out against Lancaster City Council's decision to slash funding for what it says is the most prestigious' festival in the country.

The Shellback Chorus appear ever year at the Lancaster Maritime Festival. But although this year's event will steam ahead no cash has been allocated for 2006.

If the popular festival is to take place, it will have to be funded by the private sector.

But chorus founder and festivals co-ordinator Derek Seed says: "Given the large amounts of public money devoted to improving the quay area and to maintaining the museum, there is no sense at all in discontinuing the area's biggest showcase event.

"The cost to public funding of this festival is low compared with that of similar events in other places and a large proportion is met from private sponsorship. The benefits to the city must be many times the public cost."

The decision he says should be publicly debated.

He adds: "I wonder just what effect on businesses, including the museum, will be when they lose their three biggest income days from the festival.

"Most authorities try to regenerate areas in which they have made large investments by creating promotional opportunities not by discontinuing them and inviting decline."

Back in October, Lancaster City Council came up with a revised programme of festivals, keeping only the Punk festival, Heritage Gala, Jazz Festival and Lanc-aster Firework Display.

The decision also saw Morecambe's popular Light and Water Festival cast aside as part of the cuts.

A spokesman for the city council says it has taken a new approach to festivals but there is nothing stopping people in the private sector carrying on any of the events.