TRADING Standards officers are concerned that people wanting a career in showbiz were being charged £150 by a management company to have their picture taken at the weekend.

Sue Wilkin, senior consumer advisor with Wiltshire Trading Standards, says that if would-be models and actors have what it takes, they can find work without paying companies like the one that held interviews for models and film extras in Calne for expensive photographs.

She said that if she had heard about the interviews, held by Hampshire-based GSP Management at the Lansdown Strand Hotel in Calne in time, she would have sent trading standards officers there to warn people. "They are not breaking the law, but what they won't be able to do is find work for people," she said.

While she had no specific comment to make about GSP, she said some similar companies are not selective about who they take on, and have too many people on their books to find work for.

GSP said it makes money from the photographs and from being paid a finders' fee by casting agencies. GSP photographer James Cudd said the firm is open with people about what the pictures will cost.

He said that the company was aware of unscrupulous firms in its field and had worked closely with Trading Standards in Hampshire to make sure that everything was above board. This was confirmed by a spokesman from Hampshire Trading Standards.

The company interviewed 116 people at the weekend. Out of those, 14 chose to have pictures taken and others will be sending their own pictures.

Sophie Noke, nine, from Westbury, travelled to Calne with her mum, Maria to be interviewed. Mrs Noke said she thought £157.50 was a reasonable charge for ten photographs and a chance at stardom.

But Martin Brown, of Quarrydale Close, Calne, refused to pay for photographs of his daughter Georgina, eight, saying he would prefer to try and take the pictures himself.