GERI Halliwell may have quit the real Spice Girls but a Blackpool tribute band has vowed to continue performing routines with all five members.

Danielle Scarlett has posed as Ginger Spice for at least a year - but the other members of Spice Power will certainly not be dropping her from the group.

And to prove it, all five will perform for free at a concert at the Bizness nightclub on June 17 to try and raise enough money to take Blackpool lad Dale Noble to the World Karate Championships in Canada. Spice Power spokesman Mick Scarlett said: "They are carrying on as a five-piece band because all the Spice Girls' current songs and routines were written for five people."

He added of the concert: "We're a Blackpool-based band supporting a local lad.

"The girls have made the nice gesture of giving up their fee to help him."

Dale, 12, is ranked second best in the country and eighth in the world.

He faces missing the world championships in Toronto unless his family can find £2,000 to fund the trip.

After reading about the problem in the Citizen, promoter Pete Guerin decided that he would try to raise the money for him.

He said: "I just thought it was such a shame that someone so talented was going to miss out on the world championships."

Pete has organised a fight night with martial arts experts attending from all over the North West and Spice Power providing the musical entertainment.

The night will start at 7pm in Rio's Bar, opposite the ABC cinema, where raffle tickets will be sold for prizes donated by local companies and restaurants.

The actual Fight Night will take place down at The Bizness nightclub, followed by an auction of martial arts equipment and clothing.

Dale's instructor, Rob Campbell of the Blackpool Budokan, is planning to auction the sword he used to win his first Grand Master title.

Entry to The Bizness will be reduced to £3 for the martial arts bonanza.

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