The punk festival has been a big success in Morecambe

The Morecambe Punk Festival is being staged at the neighbouring resort in 2006 because it is cheaper.

The festival is credited with generating large amounts of revenue for the local economy, with The Stranglers on the bill of this year's event.

Lancaster City Council even increased its financial support to persuade organisers to stay in Morecambe.

The move to Blackpool Winter Gardens was decided on despite Lancaster councillors backing a larger punk festival in Morecambe which would have allowed a further 2,000 tickets to be sold.

'Extremely generous'

The festival was held in Blackpool until 1996 before moving to Morecambe the following year.

Cabinet leader, Councillor Ian Barker, said: "Morecambe has had a long and successful relationship with the Punk Festival.

"We have made an extremely generous offer to the organisers. We are therefore surprised that they feel they cannot bring the festival back to Morecambe next year.

"That will disappoint many punks who say that Morecambe is their preferred venue for the festival.

"We will keep in touch with the organisers to persuade them that Morecambe is the best place for this event.'