SAINTS chairman Rupert Lowe has offered discounted tickets to Northam residents to the forthcoming concert at St Mary's Stadium by Elton John.

Locals have been offered tickets for £25 on a first come first served basis to see the flamboyant star, who has sold more than 200 million records worldwide.

The club has also issued a hotline number which residents can call if they have any complaints about the event.

Residents' groups have warned that they will be watching closely to see if the club can stage the show - which takes place on May 28 - without causing significant disruption to the locals' life.

However, they have welcomed the ticket offer, which gives residents a discount of £10 on the standard ticket price of £35.

Dawn Humphries, secretary of Northam Tenants' and Residents' Association, said: "We have been liaising with the football club since the concert was first announced. We negotiated the cheaper tickets.

"We thought that if we were going to be inconvenienced then we might as well get something out of it."

She said that residents had been assured that the noise levels from the concert, which also features an appearance by 60s diva Lulu, would be about the same as that coming from a Saints home match.

She added: "We have seen all the plans and if everything they have shown us works out, there should not be a problem.

"If we do have problems, we will be knocking on the door telling them to put it right."

Elton will be the first music act to play at St Mary's Stadium.

He will perform more than two hours of hits, including the classics Your Song, Are You Ready For Love?, Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, Rocket Man and I Want Love.

The club has described the concert as a "major coup" as it tries to attract big names to the venue.

The concert will begin at about 6.45pm with a performance by Lulu. Elton John will be on stage at about 7.45pm.

Access to the stadium will be allowed from 4.30pm and the concert will end at 10.30pm, with the audience vacating by 11.30pm.

The approved matchday parking arrangements will be in place and an information leaflet will also be attached to each ticket.

The residents' hotline is open from 3.30pm until 11.30pm on 08702 200181. If the club cannot deal with the issue, the caller will be given advice as to what to do.

A maximum of two specially priced tickets for the concert are available per household.

The tickets cost £25 on production of the special letter and a utility bill proving that the resident lives at the address.