Clad mainly in black, with piercings and bright colours in their hair, members of the scene say they are fed up of being singled out for abuse - and claim they receive little support from the authorities.

Organiser Alicia Thompson, aged 32, of Wincobank, who likes to wear black dresses, boots and has her hair black and red, said: "We live in a world that doesn't accept this kind of difference and young people are continuously mocked, attacked and sometimes even killed for the way they look."

In April, national headlines were made when two teenagers were jailed for life for the murder of Sophie Lancaster, who suffered fatal injuries when she intervened to stop her boyfriend being beaten.

The court heard the sole motive for the attack was because Sophie and her boyfriend dressed as goths.

Alicia, whose oldest daughter, 11-year-old Terri, dresses in a similar way, added: "I want her to express herself in whatever way makes her happy - but I am scared to death that when she goes out into the world something awful could happen to her."

Alicia said up to 600 people were set to attend the Sheffield march, one of several planned around the country. The march is set for Sunday August 31, starting at Devonshire Green at noon.

She says groups of younger goths suffer similar problems: "One girl I spoke to said that her hair was set alight by the other kids. Nothing was done about it and the culprits went unpunished because the school believes that she brings this kind of abuse on herself by looking like 'Satan's daughter'. There are hundreds of stories about the abuse suffered by our city's 'different' young people. We need to stop the prejudice."

S.O.P.H.I.E. - Stamp Out Prejuduce Hatred + Intolerance Everywhere

 http://www.myspace.com/inmemoryofsophie

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Lancaster