Shopping centre bosses have been slammed as Scrooge-like after a Salvation Army Christmas carol concert hit a sour note.

Band members were told they could not play at a spot in Keighley's Airedale Centre which they claim was booked back in January.

Management said they had no record of the booking, and that the area had been let.

The band has played annually in the centre - on the first and third Saturday in December - for years, with proceeds going towards toys and Christmas lunches for the needy. But on Saturday they packed up after being moved on following one tune.

Band member Sylvia Somers has vowed that the musicians will play on, even if it means braving the elements outdoors.

She said: "Three years ago we were moved from our usual spot outside M&S because certain shopkeepers thought we might be affecting their trade.

"We have since played near Giant Rombald. On Saturday we arrived as usual just before 10am, having booked our stand and obtained collecting permits way back in January.

"We played our first carol and were then approached by management representatives to say we could not continue playing as they had let our spot to a group which had paid a fee.

"We were moved to stand near the Next store, and in a direct draught from the doors opening on to the bus station.

"The Salvation Army has now been told that stands are let on a commercial basis and we are no longer welcome in the centre, and we were certainly made to feel very unwelcome there on Saturday."

Eric Pilcher, 65, a guest tuba player, said he had never encountered anything like it in his eight-or-so years playing the Christmas concerts with the Salvation Army.

He told us: "If we had to pay for a spot in the centre it would defeat the object of us going in there".

Centre manager Chris Gribben (Pictured) said the band had not booked a space, but every effort was made to accommodate the musicians.

He told us: "We work very closely with local business, community and charitable organisations. For the comfort and safety of visitors to the centre, the amount of mall space available is limited and it is necessary for us to restrict the size and number of sites in use at any one time.

"This becomes even more critical at Christmas, when the shopping centre is at its busiest.

"Lettings have to be carefully managed in order for us to meet with our legal obligations in relation to health, safety and fire precautions. Regulation is also required for insurance purposes and is applied to all organisations, whether commercial or voluntary.

"The Salvation Army has made confirmed bookings with the Airedale Shopping Centre previously and enjoyed the use of the mall facilities as recently as last month. On Saturday, no such application had been made and I understand the council had not issued a collection permit.

"Regardless of this, every effort was made to accommodate the requirements of the Salvation Army, and other organisations were relocated in their favour, including commercial operators who pay for the space they occupy.