Bosses at The Roker Hotel in Sunderland, decided to scrap a conference booking by Elite Management at the weekend.

The London-based company was offering a test shot and photograph for children and adults interested in catalogue, photographic and film and TV extra work.

But a spokeswoman for South Shields-based Tavistock Leisure, which owns the seafront hotel, said: "When they have been advertising, they haven't been giving the full facts.

"Hundreds of people were turning up and they were being charged £250 for a photographic test, plus another £100.

"We made the decision to cancel the event on information we subsequently received about the company's past history."

No one at Elite Management was available for comment when the Gazette went to press.

If you were one of the people turned away from the cancelled auditions, e-mail gazette.news@northeast-press.co.uk with your name and contact details.