WITH record-breaking musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang heading for £3.5m in ticket sales, Sunderland Empire theatre manager Paul Ryan has defended his venue's pricing policy.

No child concessions were available in the stalls or circle over Christmas and families have been faced with paying up to £40 for each ticket.

Following the announcement that seat prices were being dropped to £20 for "two quiet weeks", Mr Ryan said: "I think I understand what is being said about prices, but we have sold over 100,000 tickets, which is more than we have sold for any show ever.

"We have smashed box office records and 20,000 new people have come to the Empire, so that is a phenomenal number of new customers.

"I understand what others are saying but it does not seem to have deterred people.

"We have had a quieter couple of weeks with spare seats, which we are trying to fill up, but the last two weeks of the show up to March 4, particularly the half-term week, are virtually sold out. Out of a 12-week run, two poor weeks are not too bad."

He also pointed out that he has been to see the show three times himself with members of his family and friends and paid every time. He said: "Unfortunately, with a show as expensive as this, there have been no free tickets for anybody."

The performance features a £1m flying car -the most expensive stage prop in history.

Mr Ryan said popular West End shows such as The Lion King, Mary Poppins and We Will Rock You are now charging up to £65 for tickets.

He said: "I think prices and the cost of the show have shocked people, but this is a European first and I can understand that people in the North-East do not have as much money as they do in London, but the tickets are not as expensive as they are in London.

"People are saving money because they do not have to travel to London to see it."

The theatre, which now operates as a Live Nation venue, is negotiating to bring a pantomime for 2006-7, but Mr Ryan said the run would be shorter this time.