Leeds Festival goes ahead

Mean Fiddler have been given the green light to use the Temple Newsam site for the Leeds end of the Carling Weekend at the end of August. At a hearing yesterday at Leeds Magistrates Court officials overturned a previous decision that turned down the promoters request to use the site after trouble there at last year. On announcing the victory Mean Fiddler MD Melvin Benn told reporters: "This is obviously fantastic news for the festival and for the thousands of fans that have already bought the tickets and those that no doubt will rush to do so now. The confidence that the fans have shown in our ability to overturn what they also saw as a bizarre decision was very heartening and they and we can now look forward to a great weekend." Meanwhile organisers of the V Festival have secured the use of its Weston Park site in Staffordshire for the next four years. The annual event moved to the Midlands site from Leeds in 1999 and now promoters Roseclaim have signed a five-year deal with Weston Park trustees. In an interview with Birmingham Evening Mail, Roseclaim’s Andy Rehead said: "We have a strong relationship with Weston Park and recognition of the event has really grown."