A TINY music venue in North Yorkshire is determined to book superstar Bob Dylan when he visits Britain in November and is already looking for 100 people prepared to pay £700 a ticket.

The chances of The Band Room, at Low Mill, Farndale, near Kirkbymoorside, signing up the 62-year-old US singer seem as remote as it's location.

But the 100-seat venue's management has pressed ahead with a booking offer, in spite of assurances that Bob Dylan's agent has never heard of Farndale.

Until now the remotest hall in Yorkshire, which opened in its present form in 1996, has paid £1,000 for sell-out performances by little-known country and folk artists such as Alison Moorer and The Handsome Family.

Cathy Meeus, who helps to to run The Band Room, said: "This isn't a joke. It sounds like a long shot, but the venue has been told Dylan charges about £70,000 for a show and it believes it can break even by selling 100 tickets at £700 each.

"For many people Dylan is like the Holy Grail. I know £700 a ticket is an awful lot of money, but the truth is people are already paying this kind of money for hospitality packages to see Dylan close-up at arenas.

"An agency specialising in front row tickets was asking £600 a ticket to see the Rolling Stones play the Astoria in London. Dylan would love it here too. It would be a chance for him to stage an intimate concert.

"He's done it before in America where 300 people paid around $1,000 a ticket."

The Band Room, which was built in the 1920s for the village's silver band, promises an unforgettable atmosphere plus five-star accommodation in a nearby hotel or self-catering.

Dylan has just announced his autumn tour of the UK.

His agent could not be contacted last night.

* Meanwhile, one singing superstar definitely appearing in the North is Ozzy Osbourne, who has been booked to appear at the Telewest Arena, Newcastle, on October 26.