A CAMPAIGN to bring top pop acts back to Great Yarmouth's golden sands is growing in voice. More than 5,000 have now signed up to an online petition to get Channel 4's Pop Beach back to the resort after the event was moved to rival resort Weston-Super-Mare in north Somerset in 2005.

A CAMPAIGN to bring top pop acts back to Great Yarmouth's golden sands is growing in voice.

More than 5,000 have now signed up to an online petition to get Channel 4's Pop Beach back to the resort after the event was moved to rival resort Weston-Super-Mare in north Somerset in 2005.

The campaign was launched at the end of April on social networking site Facebook by James Stubbins who hopes the petition will force a re-think, especially given how the town has changed since it held the event in 2003 and 2004.

On Wednesday the petition stood at 5,120 and James, from Thetford, said he was “really pleased” with the response.

“Everyday I log onto the internet and go straight to the campaign page and the amount of messages of support that I get are unbelievable,” said James, 22.

He recalled that on one occasion he'd received 175 emails from supporters.

The massive pop event, which boasted artists such as Blue, Dannii Minogue and Girls Aloud, attracted around 30,000 revellers and was judged to be a huge success.

Organisers Channel 4 switched the event to the north Somerset resort five years ago and was rebranded as T4 on the Beach.

“I really think the Channel 4 bosses will sit up and listen,” said administrator James.

“With all these people signing up they must realise that the event was popular in Yarmouth. I'm sure all the people who have signed up would buy a ticket if it moved back to Yarmouth.”

The Mercury contact concert organisers who said they would “take on board” the support that the event had in Yarmouth for future plans.

James urged more people to sign up to the campaign - believing that Yarmouth deserves to be put back on the map, particularly given all the regeneration work which has been carried out on the seafront.

He added: “This event was so good for Yarmouth please sign up. You don't have to be a member on Facebook just go to the website.”

w To support the return of Pop Beach visit www.t4yarmouth.freewebspace.com/