half a million dollars from last weekend's reggae festival after some 1,300 fans used false tickets or scaled fences and walls to get into the show at National Stadium.

Despite tight security, up to 800 people moving in groups of 20 entered the stadium on July 18 through torn fences or climbed walls while some 500 passed fake $45 tickets at the gates, Mr. Aming said.

The ticket fraud came to light when a man attempted to enter the stadium with two tickets which had the same numbers.

After questioning from Police, the man named his ticket source. It was later discovered that some 500 tickets collected at the stadium gates were duplicates.

While it is not clear how the tickets were reprinted, Police have launched an investigation into the fraud.

Mr. Aming said he was flabbergasted that such a thing could happen in Bermuda.

"I know this happens in Trinidad,'' the Trinidadian-born music promoter said.

"But I never dreamed it would happen here.'' As a result of this, Mr. Aming estimated that he lost nearly $60,000 from the concert which attracted 2,000 fans and featured top international Reggae performers including Third World.

"If this happens at two more shows, I'll be wiped out,'' he conceded.

In 1977, lawyer Mr. Julian Hall ran into financial difficulty after he organised Summerfest -- a major concert featuring top international musicians -- which was invaded by gate crashers at National Stadium.

But Mr. Aming, who plans to bring Ziggy Marley, the Wailers and the I-Threes together for the first time to pay tribute to the late Reggae superstar Bob Marley, is determined not to have this happen at that concert planned for August 22.

The big event, which is expected to attract Marley fans from here and overseas, will be heavily guarded at Dockyard, he said. And the $50 tickets will be specially printed abroad and stamped when the holder enters the concert.

"I will also do this for any future concerts,'' Mr. Aming said. "It will cost more. But it's worth it.'' Mr. Aming also said if a special venue cannot be created for local concerts, the stadium should at least be enclosed with secure walls and barbed wired fences.

"After the concert, we counted at least 15 holes around the walls of the stadium,'' he said.

Mr. Murray Brown, spokesman for Entertainment Ventures which is putting on tomorrow night's Reggae Sunsplash at the stadium, said extensive security measures will definitely be taken.

"We thought about this beforehand,'' he said. "Our tickets which were printed overseas are in three colours and we've been assured by local printers that if someone wants to duplicate them, it would take two weeks.

"Our tickets (at $45 each) just went on sale last Friday. We've also stamped the back with invisible ink and the paper they're printed on is not even available in Bermuda.

"We were greatly concerned about security after going to his (Mr. Aming's) concert last weekend.'' Entertainment Ventures will also have 23 Police outside the stadium with six Supreme Security guards and six guard dogs inside.

"We're taken it very seriously,'' said Mr. Murray who expects a larger crowd than at last weekend's concert.

CONCERT SHAM -- Mr. Choy Aming holds a handful of some 500 fake tickets used to enter last Saturday's Reggae Festival.