A CONCERT promoter is suing the council after it cancelled a Bob Marley tribute festival.

Music firm Gold National Events is claiming it lost £155,000 after Manchester council pulled the plug on the festival just two days after signing the deal.

The company told Manchester's Mercantile Court it had already signed up international star Sean Paul and the reggae legend's son - Kyi-Mai Marley.

But the court heard Manchester council called off the event at Platt Fields park after police raised safety concerns.

However, the court heard from Chief Supt David Keller, then in charge of policing the force's Metropolitan division, who said police had not asked for the event to be cancelled.

Gold National Events boss Mike Forrester said preparations for the event on August 30 last year had begun in good faith and agreements had been made with performers.

But Jeffrey Terry, for the council, suggested the promoter had received nothing more than provisional interest from the acts.

Questioning Mr Forrester's assertion that he had booked Paul and his act for a flat fee of $70,000 (then £35,000), the lawyer asked: "There were an awful lot of requirements in order to get him to perform at all. He was going to bring all of this for a fee of $70,000?"

Mr Forrester, an impresario who has worked with pop stars Gabrielle and Girls Aloud, responded: "I would agree with you there was a long list of light and sound requirements but if the artist is touring - which he would have been at the time - these would be provided anyway."

The court was told that Sean Paul was a platinum-selling reggae star who has played sell-out gigs around the country, including the M.E.N. Arena.

As well sound and light specifications, the star's list of requirements included three dressing rooms for performers and a relatively modest 12 bottles of Heineken beer.

Kyi-Mai Marley was to be paid a smaller sum of 15,000 Euros(then £10,000), after he was selected to play because he was 'less expensive' than sibling David Marley, also a performer, Mr Forrester said.

The council and the promotion's firm signed a contract for the park concert on June 4.

But Kirsten Warren, the area manager for the Rusholme park, said she decided to cancel the event after a planning meeting with police officers on June 6.

She said: "My understanding from the chief superintendent's comments and the discussion I had with his officers afterwards was that they would not police it."

"After the meeting, I asked the question if the organisers were prepared to pay for the highest level of policing, would they reconsider and they said 'no'."

Key documents detailing stewarding and safety plans had not been handed over to the council, she added.

Gold National Events is suing the council for breach of contract.

Judge Brendan Hegarty QC reserved his judgement and said he would notify the parties in due course.