Norman Cook will meet council officials on Thursday to discuss plans for another Brighton gig after Argus readers backed the DJ's plans.

A staggering 96 per cent said "yes" to an Argus poll which asked readers to vote on the DJ's hopes of returning to Brighton beach.

Calls for another beach event came from Cook, alias Fatboy Slim, after he watched rock band Razorlight perform a surprise show to 4,500 on the seafront on Wednesday.

Now Cook, who lives in Hove with wife Zoe Ball and son Woody, will meet officials from Brighton and Hove City Council's events team for talks.

He said: "In the light of public response and the Argus article, the council invited us to come back and have a meeting next week to talk about it.

"I'm sick of everyone from the Mayor down saying 'When are you going to do it again?'

"We spent four months and about £20,000 working out how to do it safely on Madeira Drive and the police came back suggesting Preston Park with a 9pm finish.

"We have addressed all the things that weren't right about the last gig in terms of traffic, glass on the beach and stuff like that. We thought about it and came up with a safe plan but they said no. It just seems the tide of public opinion is overwhelming."

Cook said any policing and stewards would be paid for from sponsorship of the event and numbers would be limited by asking fans to write in for tickets or using a postcode system to ensure the dance event was just for Brighton residents. He said it would take about six months to plan a gig and that his team, who organised his worldwide tour of beaches, are now experts at managing such events.

Chief executive of the council, Alan McCarthy, met Sussex Police yesterday to discuss ideas for the gig.

He said: "We are going to meet Norman Cook to discuss what the possibilities might be around something like this but I will first speak to councillors about it. We have to be careful and have more control of any event than we did last time.

"You have to look at the popularity of the gig. Understandably the police are quite nervous and believe it was luck that we got away with it last time."

Police fear a repeat of the overcrowding which brought the city to a standstill in 2002. More than 250,000 people descended on the beach, creating safety fears and leaving behind debris and broken glass.

A police spokeswoman said: "He's too popular. If they want to submit a formal proposal we will happily discuss different locations but we're primarily concerned with public safety.

"There is more than one venue to hold things in this city. Preston Park, for example, has Pride, the festival fireworks and Party in the Park so it has shown in the past that it can hold those numbers and if Fatboy wanted to hold something in the city we will discuss possibilities."

- What Argus readers said by text message and email and how Norman replied:

Corinne and Tim: If the people of Brighton want him to provide a party on the beach, then there must be some way. We went to both beach parties and had a fabulous time. Thank you Norman.

Andrew: Norman Cook is a credit to this city for the wonderful things he has done locally.

Steve: I was gutted that I missed the last show and would love him to perform again. The stretch of beach behind Shoreham Power station could be used. A bit close to Norm's pad I know but at least he won't have to use the portable toilets! Come on Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council, things like this are what make Brighton and Hove such a cool place to live!

Linzi: How can you deprive Brighton of a gift from one of its favourite residents, please again please.

Omar: If Razorlight can have a party it's about time Fatboy can have another. Keep Brighton happy.

Alex: Yes it would make the summer for everyone who lives in Brighton. Where better place to do it than his home town? Mandy: Arrange the same as Hogmanay in Edinburgh, tickets only issued to council tax payers in the city.

Anonymous: Bring it on, the first one was wicked. Nothing made me prouder to be from Brighton.

Norman said: "Shoreham, yeah, that would be even closer for me! At the weekend it's completely deserted because it's an industrial area.

"I could walk to the gig and there's tonnes of room for parking. We want to limit numbers and congestion by making it just for Brighton people using postcodes.

"But it's got to be on the beach, not in a park, because it would feel like a festival. There's something about doing it on the beach."