A MAJOR pop concert to raise cash for a cancer charity has been cancelled.

Manchester's Heaton Park was to have hosted the first in a series of 1Life concerts to raise funds for the Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Local superstars M People were to have headlined the gig on Saturday, but the event has been scrapped after organisers hit financial problems.

A spokesman for Manchester city council, which owns the Prestwich park, said: "Regrettably, we have been informed by the festival organisers that, due to the withdrawal of financial backing for the event, it cannot go ahead as planned.

"They assure us that all tickets will be fully refunded, and ask people to contact directly the booking agents through whom they bought tickets.

"We thoroughly share the disappointment of all who planned to attend the event, but fully respect the 1Life organisers' decision and appreciate the unfortunate circumstances that have led to the cancellation."

Also due to appear at the concert were bands Cornershop, Lethal Bizzle, The Whip, Sway and Buen Chico. A similar line-up was to have performed at Newcastle's Gosforth Park on September 13, but that gig has also been cancelled.

The events were meant to celebrate the charity's work and raise funds for cancer care.

They were being organised by Question Mark Entertainments, which intends to stage them next year instead.

Sarah Bond, corporate development and events manager at Marie Curie Cancer Care, said: "We are looking forward to the 1Life events being a success in 2009.

"The charity is set to receive £100,000 from the series of concerts, which will make a massive difference to terminally-ill people and their families - paying for about 5, 000 hours of nursing care." The organisers said: "Question Mark Entertainment is committed to the campaign and believes the 2009 event will be a success."