YOUNG singers from Puddletown have added their voices to a competition to sing along with Joseph.

Members of St Mary's Middle School choir are among hundreds of young hopefuls from across the UK hoping to win a starring role to sing alongside the winner of the BBC's search for someone to star in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

But music teacher Natalia Rogers has criticised the organisers of the competition for making it almost impossible to vote.

Miss Rogers said she submitted a video of the children singing to the special BBC website more than a week ago and although she has been encouraging people to vote it has proved almost impossible because the system keeps crashing.

"It's really frustrating. We keep trying to vote but before you reach the page we are on the system crashes.

"I did send an email of complaint to the BBC saying we can't vote.

"The children want to see themselves online but they just can't. Let's hope it gets sorted out soon."

Miss Rogers said more than 50 children from the Puddletown school had auditioned for a place in the choir and that it had been really difficult to choose the final 20 to appear in the video.

"It was great fun.

"They all really enjoyed doing it."

A message on the BBC website said that they were try-ing to sort the problems out.

"We have received a phenomenal number of visitors which has led to problems accessing the audition room.

"For this reason rating is being disabled to allow us to carry out the necessary work to ensure that all visitors can access the audition room. Rating will resume on Monday, May 21. Existing ratings will be re-set."

The final 20 will now be announced on Friday, with the winner announced next Tuesday, May 29.

Anyone wanting to vote for St Mary's Middle School should visit www.josephchoirsearch.co.uk