ROCK superstars Muse are coming home to Teignmouth with two gigs.

The trio – Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dom Howard – fill stadia around the world, and are planning the gigs in their home town next month.

Hush-hush negotiations have been going on behind the scenes for months for a special concert on the Den, as a 'thank you' to their loyal local fans.

If the shows go ahead it would be a massive coup for Teignmouth, providing huge national and international publicity.

The concerts are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, September 4 and 5, before Muse set off for a major ten-week tour of America and Europe.

Teignmouth will also be the launch and first live performance of their new album The Resistance, due out on September 14.

There are still several hurdles to overcome. Police, the fire service, the highway authority and the environmental health department, have all expressed initial concerns.

But it is understood that most of the problems have now been overcome, apart from sound levels, and talks are continuing to

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try to resolve that issue.

The final decision on whether the shows can go ahead will be taken by Teignbridge Council licensing sub-committee on August 17, when a 'premises licence' will be sought.

One of the driving forces behind the gigs is Teignmouth councillor Terry Falcao, who met lead singer Matt Bellamy last year, when the possibility of the concerts was discussed.

Discussions have been ongoing with all the band, and the original plan was for the group to appear as part of last week's carnival music festival, but it was not possible because the album was still being finalised.

Cllr Falcao was tightlipped about the chances of the shows going ahead, fearing that 'premature' publicity could jeopardise the project. He said: 'I cannot discuss any proposals that may or may not have been made.'

But a close friend of the band said: 'The lads have never forgotten the support they had in Teignmouth when they started out all those years ago.

'They all have homes in the area and are frequent visitors, and would love to be able to play here for the first time since they became world famous, and think the Den is the only place to do it.'

Major concert promoter SJM Ltd is organising the concert, and has applied for a licence for up to 15,000 people, but with only 10,000 tickets being on sale for each evening gig. Priority would be given to residents.

The week would be a huge boost to trade in the resort, with thousands of fans arriving, many from outside the area, but it could put a strain on roads, parking and accommodation facilities.

The lads met at Teignmouth Community College where they formed a band in 1994, and played in local pubs and halls before hitting the big time when they were signed to Maddona's label.

Since, they have stormed to international acclaim with a massive fan base, and won a host of music awards. They are recognised as one of the best live bands in the world, and all their UK tour gigs, and some in the USA, are already sold out.

Long serving Teignmouth councillor Fred Tooley declared: 'This would be a tremendous coup for the town. Muse have put Teignmouth on the world map, and it is great to know they are thinking of their local fans.'

Several other town councillors and Teignbridge officials have been working hard to try to make the concerts happen, and a special meeting of the town council was due to be held last night,when it was expected support for the venture would be unanimous.­

A Teignbridge spokesman confirmed the application would go before the licensing committee, and added: 'Teignbridge executive committee will also consider whether or not to give landowner permission for the event.

'Both decisions will be made with careful consideration for the potential impact of such a large scale event on the community, and the economic benefits for the town and surrounding area. The decisions will also be taking into account the views of authorities such as the police and our own environmental health service.'