Parents will not be allowed to take photos of their children at the Junior Music Festival this year.

There will be a camera ban at the festival, which takes place every year at the Oasis Leisure Centre.

Parents of the 700 children from 30 schools taking part will not be able to capture the moment on their own cameras or video cameras.

A Swindon Council spokesman confirmed that this is in keeping with a camera ban that operates throughout all leisure centres in Swindon, including the Link Centre and the Oasis.

This ban has been enforced to protect children from paedophiles.

It is also for health and safety there are concerns about parents standing up during the performance and creating a fire hazard.

In yesterday's Adver we reported that parents at Oliver Tomkins primary school were not allowed to take photos of their children during a recent performance of Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Headteacher Elizabeth Wood made the decision according to LEA guidelines that parents should be asked for consent for their children's pictures to be taken.

If any parents do not wish their children's photographs to be taken all parents are stopped from doing so.

This year's Junior Music Festival is on Thursday, March 16 at 7.30pm.

The children will perform Fiddler on the Roof a play set in a Russian village in 1905 which tells the story of a Jewish family and the tribulations they face under Tsarist rule.

Tickets are priced at £7.50 for adults, with £3.10 concessions.

For more details call 01793 487802 from March 1.

Diana Milne