TAXPAYERS could be left with a six-figure bill in the wake of Eastleigh's first summer music festival, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Officers at Eastleigh Council are being authorised to use up to £60,000 to tidy up the Leigh Road recreation ground following the event.

Civic chiefs are already backing the festival with £25,000 sponsorship and free letting of The Point arts centre.

A row over the tab which could be picked up by the council comes just a few days before the curtain goes up on the musical extravaganza.

The week long festival, which starts on Monday, will be headlined by Sir Bob Geldof, Jools Holland and Rolf Harris.

Tory councillor Colin Davidovitz has challenged the promise of extra cash which was decided behind closed doors last month by the council's ruling executive.

Referring to the £25,000 sponsorship deal, he said: "We were given to understand that this would be the limit of the council's commitment to the event."

Now they learned the spending by the council had the potential to go into six figures, he said.

The festival organiser, Peter Chegwyn, branded the claims as "nonsense".

He said: "We've signed a bond for the release of the recreation ground. We'll do all the litter clearing and put it back as it was before.

"There's huge public support for the festival and it's a shame some councillors have to attack it."

A council spokesman said the extra £60,000 would only be taken from council cash reserves in a "worst case scenario".

He said nothing had been budgeted for a tidy-up because it was considered to be a low risk.

Former Labour councillor Bill Luffman, who lost his seat at the May election, criticised lack of discussion with the council's Eastleigh local area committee and consultation with neighbours about the festival.

He asked: "Why should The Point be available free of charge as it is currently subsidised to the tune of £480,000 from the public purse?"

Conservative and Labour councillors demanded that no action should be taken on the financial arrangements until the whole issue had been looked at by their resources scrutiny panel. Ruling Liberal Democrats defeated the move, although they agreed the festival should come under the scrutiny spotlight later.