AN arts charity is taking North Wiltshire District Council to court to force it to pay up thousands of pounds in fees it claims it is owed.

Calne-based Kandu Arts for Sustainable Development was taken on by the district council to run a huge arts programme for young people called Global Ambition.

But months after the event showcase at Festival 3000 in Lacock, Kandu says the district council has not paid it a penny.

Now Kandu, based at Derry Hill, says it needs to pay the artists involved in the project and has not the resources to do so because the district council has failed to pay up £8,000.

Ed Deedigan, of Kandu Arts, is planning to make a television documentary about the handling of the funding for Global Ambition.

Referring to the money spent by the district council for the care of four pigs seized from an animal sanctuary, Mr Deedigan said: "They spent £10,000 keeping pigs that's about what we are owed for this project. Obviously they think pigs are more important than young people."

But district council spokesman Laurie Bell said Kandu needed to send in a business plan and receipts to accompany a financial breakdown for the project before it could pay out the money.

Bill Turner, Kandu's financial manager, said he had supplied everything required and receipts were only needed for capital items worth more than £500 and and there were none for this project.

He said Kandu was preparing to sue the council in the civil court in an attempt to recover the money.

"We've been shortchanged and the district council has found every excuse to delay the payment," he said. "Now we will be looking for interest to be paid on the outstanding bill as well as payment for all the extra administration time.

"They say they will pay in December at the earliest, and have not promised to pay even then. This has just dragged on and on."

The district council made an application to the Millennium Festival Fund for money to finance the Global Ambition project. The grant was organised through Southern Arts, and £15,000 was agreed, half to pay at the start of the project and half at the end.

In addition the district council agreed to pay £8,000 and to look for sponsorship from business. But it failed to find any business sponsorship.

Global Ambition set out to involve young people in performances, working alongside professional artists.

The event culminated in a showcase of work in July, with live music, video and dance focussing on aspirations for the new Millennium.

Jane Bryant, speaking for Southern Arts, said it had received all the financial information it needed, and the application was being processed, prior to a meeting with North Wiltshire District Council next week.

Subsequently the Arts Council would be able to release the Millennium Festival Fund cheque for the pending £7,500.

She said the district council could then honour its commitment to Kandu Arts.

Kerry Wilkins, formerly arts officer for the district council, who completed the original grant application form, said: "There has always been a culture of negligible commitment to artists and I feel that this is abhorrent in the light of the outstanding work of this arts group."