FANS who paid out hundreds of pounds for concert tickets were furious to find out that they were being given away free to people in the street.

Hundreds of tickets for Pop4Weymouth were being given away in the run up to the concert.

Event organisers refused to comment but Weymouth Football Club bosses have already said they were disappointed by ticket sales and that the club made no money on the weekend celebrity Football and music extravaganza.

Shoppers and staff in several Weymouth outlets received free tickets for the event in a bid by organisers to boost numbers.

Ann Styche was looking at quilts in one town centre store when she was approached by someone offering free tickets.

She said: "A man came up to me and asked if I wanted free tickets and I said yes, so he gave me three. I have still got them because I didn't go. I think it's a shame for all those people who paid for their ticket."

Mum-of-four Paula Parker bought six tickets at a cost of £131.10 including booking fees.

She says she had a great day at the concert and thought it was quite good value for money, but was annoyed to meet lots of people who hadn't paid.

She said: "Fair enough if people had won prizes but it seems that such a large quantity had been given away. It just doesn't seem right - either it's a free concert or you have to buy a ticket.

"I hardly spoke to anyone who bought their ticket. I'm not criticising the show, we thoroughly enjoyed it, but when everybody else is in there for free it peeves you."

Mrs Parker's complaint comes amid continued anger from fans who had hoped to see more big names at Saturday's football competition.

Kim Mowlam's son Scott bought her a £25 ticket for the weekend as an early 40th birthday present.

She said: "There were meant to be a lot of soap stars there. I was really looking forward to seeing Michael Greco from EastEnders because I have been watching it for years, but there was hardly anyone there that I recognised. I wouldn't have minded who I had met because it would have been a treat for me to see them in person. I recognised Jonathon Wilkes but that was it, really."

Weymouth FC chairman Ian Ridley said he would not comment on individual cases and said he was disappointed by some of the negative comments following the event.