Music stars of the future rocked their way into the limelight as they battled it out for a place at an Oxfordshire music festival.

Performers under 18 gave it their all at Bayards Hill School in Oxford, hoping to wow judges for a place at the Rock and Pop Festival in April.

The festival, run by Oxfordshire County Council’s music service, aims to give youngsters a chance to perform on stage. Organiser Nick Wright, 31, picked eight performers from the 40 musicians who auditioned because the standard was so high. He said: “The experience of playing in a large venue and to a couple of people who are looking at the performance critically is very productive.”

Colleen Sweet, 53, of Woodstock, watched her son Daniel, 13, perform in his band Ioneye.

She said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring forward young talent in Oxfordshire.”