A STAR-studded charity concert which the BBC wanted to stage in Bolton will take place in Blackpool instead -- because Bolton Council said it would be unsafe and too expensive to put on..

Atomic Kitten and Pop Idol heartthrob Gareth Gates were set to star in a concert to be broadcast to the nation from the Reebok Stadium and Asda car parks at the Middlebrook complex next month.

But the concert, a centrepiece of the BBC's Children in Need coverage, was relocated after the council judged the site was not suitable for an expected crowd of about 20,000.

Andrew Glynn, a BBC spkokesman, said: "As a charity event, we do rely on some financial support from the council.

"Unfortunately, as we approached Bolton Council late in their financial year, although they were really keen to help, they just couldn't find the money to make it a possibility."

A council spokesman said the request came at short notice and added that health and safety concerns had come before policing costs.

"Crowd safety is paramount," he said. Both the police and the council had expressed concern over pedestrian safety.

"Using the car parks for a high profile event such as this would have led to problems of safety with vehicles using access roads and pedestrians making their way to the concert," he said.

"Concerns were also expressed at the possible size of the crowds and the availability of parking.

"Although policing costs were part of the overall equation, they were not a major factor in whether the event went ahead at that venue or not."

Police and the owners of the Middlebrook Retail Park were involved in talks over the planned concert.

It will now be staged on the central car park near Blackpool Tower on November 15.

The council spokesman added: "It would have been an exciting event for Bolton and we are disappointed that it will not be held here.

"People worked hard to try and make it happen."