Call to make Judgestock Black Country's 'mini Glastonbury'

Thousands of people attended the extravaganza at Sandwell Valley over the Bank Holiday weekend, which featured the likes of Blue, Lemar and The Twang.

And organiser Lee Judge said today that he would be meeting with council bosses within weeks to discuss the possibility of having camping – such as at events like Glastonbury and V Festival – on site for next year.

Lee Judge said: "Everyone is hailing it as a mini Glastonbury.

"It has been growing over the years and last year the numbers were just brilliant, so we decided to take it to the next level.

Mr Judge said he hoped the site would have space for around 25,000 campers and the camping element could be brought in in time for next year's event.

In the last 17 years the event has grown from being a small gig in a small venue featuring local bands to a three-day music festival.

Last year the event at The Public in West Bromwich welcomed 2,000 visitors, but this year, 65,000 people attended Sandwell Valley as the festival was held on the site alongside the Sandwell Community Show and Sandwell Horticultural Show.

Mr Judge, aged 38 from West Bromwich originally came up with the idea of holding a charity music festival in order to raise money to buy a new wheelchair for his cousin Carl Flynn who suffers from cerebral palsy.

A small gig featuring his own band, Nothing But Grief, at a social club in West Bromwich raised more than £1,500 towards the new wheelchair.

But over 17 years it has grown and grown, and eventually was given the name Judgestock.

In the last two years the gigs took on a special significance as Lee shifted his fundraising to cancer charities and held the concert in memory of his friend Simon Turton who died in 2011 aged 36 after battling a brain tumour.

Mr Judge added: "I hope that the festival just continues to grow and grow and one day becomes one of the UK's largest festivals to rival Glastonbury and Download festival."