Andrea Bocelli fans who made a wasted trip to Oxford in April for the postponed concert almost made the same mistake again.

Steven Kingshott, of Cranleigh, Sussex, was all set to travel to the Kassam Stadium this Sunday for the Bocelli concert -- but after a phone call to the Oxford Mail yesterday he was told the event had been scrapped.

The ill-fated concert, organised by Mike Dandridge and Darren Ward of The Very Impressive Party Company (Vipco), was originally due to take place on April 30 but was postponed in mid-April until July 10.

Thousands of pounds in ticket money taken from fans by Dandridge and Ward is unlikely to ever be refunded, as Ward was declared bankrupt and Dandridge is denying all responsibility for the event.

Oxford tarding standards officers have referred the matter to police, who are awaiting the outcome of a bankruptcy investigation into Ward before deciding what action to take.

The majority of ticketholders found out about both cancellations through the Oxford Mail's coverage.

But many ticketholders from outside Oxfordshire were unaware, like 46-year-old Mr Kingshott, who arrived at a deserted Kassam Stadium on April 30. Other fans had travelled from as far afield as Australia, America and Germany for the event.

Mr Kingshott, a house refurbisher who bought two £50 tickets, said he would have come to Oxford on Sunday had he not called the Oxford Mail yesterday to check.

He said: "I was so furious the first time when I turned up and learned there was no concert, I would have been absolutely mad had it happened a second time.

"As I'm not local, I hadn't seen any of the Oxford Mail's coverage so didn't know the concert had been postponed. I couldn't believe it when I turned up.

"We then found out it was rescheduled for July 10 so have been looking forward to this Sunday. The friend I was due to go to the concert then said, in light of what happened last time, maybe we ought to phone the Oxford Mail to check it is going ahead.

"I really thought it would be so was surprised to hear it was off. I'm so glad I called though, as otherwise I would have travelled up again and it would have been another wasted trip."

Another ticketholder, Ian Brewerton, from the West Midlands, also called the Mail yesterday, inquiring about the concert as he was expecting to see Bocelli on Sunday evening.

He said: "I'm very disappointed -- not just that I'm not going to see Bocelli, but that I've had to hear it from you and not the promoter. They haven't been in touch with us since April."