Councillors asked to ensure free entry to Youth Beatz

Scouting for Girls was one of the headliners at Youth Beatz in Dumfries

Councillors have been asked to ensure that one of Scotland's largest youth music festivals remains a free event.

A total of 12,000 complimentary tickets for Youth Beatz were handed out prior to the show in Dumfries in August this year.

The event, which included a six-day fringe, was hailed a huge success.

Members of Dumfries and Galloway's Nithsdale area committee have been asked to agree in principle to award a £60,000 grant to next year's festival.

A report said that the figure represented 58% of the total cost of the event, and equated to a contribution of £5 for each person who attended.

Increased self-esteem

The report added: "If Nithsdale Area Committee decide not to allocate the full amount, then to ensure the same level and profile of event an entrance fee would be required or the event would reduce in scale."

A bid to introduce ticket charges for the event was rejected by the same committee last year.

This year's Youth Beatz was held in Dock Park and was headlined by Scouting for Girls and Union J.

The report to the council said the event had a positive impact on the young people who attended the festival.

It reported that 89% of those at Youth Beatz said it increased their self-esteem and 91% said they were unable to attend any other large scale music event.

The report also revealed that there was a 93% drop in anti-social behaviour rates among young people in Nithsdale on the day of Youth Beatz.