POOLE is gearing up for its second Skate Fest and the action-packed festival is promising to be even bigger and better than before.

The Echo-backed Tempt Fate event is expected to draw crowds from all over the South of England and beyond to Baiter Park on May 12.

It follows in the footsteps of last year's phenomenally- successful festival, which attracted 5,000 people and raised around £5,000 to boost skatepark facilities in Poole.

This year, the free Funseeker event is being organised by three Arts Institute students, Rosie Strang, Richard Stannard and Nicholas Street, who have pulled out all the stops to ensure there will be something for everyone.

The exhilarating BMX, skateboard and inline skating trick competitions are back, this time with total prize money of £1,500. Anyone can regis-ter on the day and give themselves a chance of winning the £500 prize in each competition.

A live music stage will feature some of the best up and coming UK punk, metal and hardcore bands including Onedice, Freebase, 4FT Fingers, SNUB, Fletcher and Captain Everything.

And there will also be a hip-hop stage presented by Breakfluid and fea-turing DMC finalist X-Rated, Tom Dollar, Zero and Tinkabell.

In addition to this, there will be workshops, graf-fiti walls, breakdancing by UK champions Second to None, fairground rides, a licensed bar, merchandise stalls and the Miniscule of Sound, the world's smallest nightclub.

The event is run by volunteers and is backed by Dorset Police and Poole Youth Services.

Fire FM will be broadcasting live from the festival, which is also part of the nationwide Spirit of Friendship Festival, a celebration of culture, arts and sports to mark the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

More information about Tempt Fate is available at their website www.temptfate.co.uk. Anyone who would like to run a merchandise stall at the festival should ring 01202 363280.