THIS year's Birkenhead Summer Festival will go ahead, preventing an unwanted hat-trick of cultural disasters on Wirral.

The last few months have already seen the Eden and Oxstock Festivals collapse in acrimonious circumstances.

But Birkenhead's showpiece event is to survive and has been inspired by the courage of one of the event's biggest supporters who tragically died last year.

Jez Griffith, who suffered from spina bifida, was a big fan of Birkenhead's biggest cultural showcase and was filming a documentary of the event when he died.

Organisers say they were even more determined to ensure this year's event was given the green light, to pay tribute to the 25-year-old from Elton, near Ellesmere Port.

James Davies, co-ordinator of the event, now in its fourth year, said: "We had to make sure this event went ahead and there were concerns when the other two festivals folded. We were very disappointed and had every sympathy for the organisers of those events.

"But this is Jezz's festival, a great guy who even managed to bunk into Glastonbury in a wheelchair. He was a champion of this event and was trying to take us to a wider audience when he was snatched away.

"We would never have given this up without a fight. And events such as these add to the colour of Wirral life."

Last week, Wirral Council pulled the plug on a second music festival in a fortnight.

The local authority and police said a lack of security and poor health and safety plans meant that the Oxton festival, nicknamed "Oxstock", was axed.

It followed a decision to cancel the massive Eden Festival which would have taken place in Arrowe Park.

That led to a bitter war of words with community groups labelling Wirral "the cultural void of the North West".

But spokesman for Wirral Commmunity Arts Carl Realey said he hoped this festival would restore some of the borough's reputation.

And world-renowned Country and Western star Charlie Landsborough has also lent his support to the event, describing it as crucially important.

The Birkenhead-born musician said: "This is one of the cultural hearts of the North West, it's a great place for all sorts of talent and I think this event is critical for the area."

Mr Davies added: "We want to promote local talent, but the aim is to assist individuals who suffer the effects of poverty, sickness, disability or social deprivation.

"And this year we are fundraising for The Association of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, inspired by Jez Griffith."

As many as 10,000 people are expected at The Warner Village area at the rear of The Crown Hotel on Conway Street, Birkenhead.

There will be live music from noon-10pm on August 24-25 involving more than 20 bands and entertainment including Marvin Ruffin, Insanity Beach, Heidi, Chris Locke and The Ragamuffin Roadshow, J-League, The Gary's, The Foundry and Buzz FM popstars.

Other attractions include a children's circus workshop, stilt-walkers, clowns, rides, stalls, bouncy castles, face-painting, a real ale festival, the Cheshire Regiment and a puppets show.