A DANCE gala ended on a controversial note after it was claimed some entrants snubbed its finale in protest at decisions made by a top judge.

A total of 21 dancers refused to compete in the intermediate and senior championships on the final day of the week-long Wyre Forest Dance Festival.

The competitors, mainly from Kidder-minster's Splinters Dance Studio, were believed to have been upset at earlier decisions made by highly-experienced adjudicator Madeleine Shea, although the studio denied this.

Eighteen and 23 people should have taken part in the respective categories in the final parts of the 17th annual festival on Saturday afternoon, but nine withdrew from the intermediate section and 12 from the senior category.

Miss Shea, who runs a London dance school and has choreographed for TV shows and theatre, withheld prizes at some of the earlier novice and tap dance categories because she did not think all the dancers were good enough to merit the awards.

One of the organisers Sue Harper, who has been involved in the event for 15 years, was handed a letter at Saturday lunchtime informing her of the withdrawal of some dancers.

She said: "I asked Splinters principal Jane Bennett what this was for and was told it was the individual decisions of the dancers.

"I pleaded with them to dance but they said no.

"I have never known a situation like this and it was a great shame as all the entrants worked very hard throughout the week and the final day is supposed to end on a high."

However, Mrs Bennett denied there had been any ill feeling among entrants to the event at Stourport Civic Hall, which attracted 926 participants from eight Midlands dance schools.

She said: "A number of our dancers were ill and others had jobs to go to on Saturday afternoon.

"The atmosphere at the festival was fine.

"The adjudicator was hard but fair but I certainly had no problem with her and the dancers I have spoken to said they listened carefully to the advice they were given."

More than 50 honours were awarded during the festival, which is run by Wyre Forest District Council.

Splinters' Hannah Cook was crowned junior champion, intermediate winner was Freya Rowley of Walsall, and the senior title went to Claire Campion, of Worcester.