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LONDON - A Scottish pop star has made a call for Britons to throw coordinated house parties nationwide later this month, prompting warnings about potential teenage mayhem.
Calvin Harris, a singer and self-described hate figure for parents, issued an invitation on his website for people to host parties across Britain on Saturday, August 18.
About 1,000 teenagers have already signed up to hold bashes at their parents' homes, events that Harris hopes will celebrate his new single "Merrymaking at my place".
As a result, a parenting support website, Raisingkids.co.uk, told parents to "cancel your plans" if thinking of leaving teenagers alone at home on the night.
British newspapers have also been spreading the word: "Parental warning: don't leave home on August 18", was the headline in the Times on Monday.
The fear of teenage house-party chaos is no idle threat in Britain.
A house in Sunderland suffered 25,000 pounds of damage earlier this year when uninvited guests crashed a party advertised by a teenager on the social network site MySpace.
On his website, Harris noted that those throwing parties bore ultimate responsibility and offered a tip for keeping things under control: "We strongly recommend that you do not invite strangers or advertise the party as open to all."
The event has the backing of Harris's record label, Columbia, a subsidiary of SonyBMG. As part of the terms, it said it would not be liable for any "tangible property damage, losses or injuries".
One party host will be picked to win 1,500 pounds in prize money along with a private acoustic performance by Harris himself, whose website said just about any kind of bash would fit the bill:
"Anything goes, big or small, from a neon-nu rave extravaganza to a back-garden barbecue, to a girls' night in."
- REUTERS
