A SCOUT leader has voiced concern over the cost of taking her group to this year’s pantomime at The Anvil in Basingstoke.

Jacqueline Edwards claims youngsters from the Brighton Hill Beavers colony she runs are being turned into Cinderellas because they aren’t given the same discounts offered to schools.

“I feel our children are being discriminated against. Surely, we should pay the same as the children at school?”

Mrs Edwards had wanted to take the 18 young members of her colony to see Cinderella, starring pop star Sonia, and Anna Williamson and Jamie Rickers, both from CITV's Toonattik, but said she has been deterred by the pricing policy.

“I took them to the panto four years ago, but in the last two or three we haven’t taken them because the parents say they can go cheaper with the school.

“But some of the children are missing out because their schools don’t go. We should have the same price for every child, I think,” said Mrs Edwards, who has been Beaver leader with the group for 17 years.

Andrea Bath, press officer at Anvil Arts which runs the theatre, explained that schools get a special rate but only to specific school performances during school hours – of which there are seven for Cinderella.

She pointed out that youth groups also get a discount at evening, weekend and holiday performances.

She added: “The Anvil has frozen its ticket prices for the pantomime at last year’s level, and so the actual ticket prices are £11.50 per ticket for youth groups and £8.50 per ticket for schools.

“We welcome hundreds of Beavers, Scouts, Brownies and Guides every year, and would like to add the Brighton Hill Beavers to this year’s groups.”

The Gazette Newspapers-sponsored production starts on December 10 and runs until January 3.