A COMMUNITY concert held to build a football pitch for soccer-mad youngsters in Ewood has been hailed a runaway success.

The gig, held at the Thwaites Theatre in Aqueduct Street, sold out all 187 tickets and raised £500 to go towards the Hollin Bank Community Association money pot to build a pitch.

The money brings the group's funds over its £2,000 target to convert a patch of the playground, in Wolseley Street, into a pitch.

They will now apply for council matched funding, and hope to complete the project next year.

Residents of Wolseley Street, Ewood, demonstrated their singing, dancing and music-playing skills at the three-hour concert.

Those who did not have a talent to showcase showed their support by buying the £5 tickets and watching popular Darwen band Gone Beggin' and 10-year-old pop princess Brooke Aspin.

Organiser Rhona King said: "The theatre staff were so impressed with the show they contacted a couple of the acts afterwards and asked them to return."