EAST Hampshire District Council has just boosted its property portfolio by buying a one-and-a-half million pound hotel and coffee shop.

But opposition councillors this week questioned the spending, expressing "serious" concerns over pursuing property investment in the current economic climate.

The Metro Inn Hotel and adjoining Starbucks coffee shop, on the A3 at Liphook, is the council's third acquisition since deciding to shift its investments from low-interest cash to the high returns in property, it said in a statement this week.

For full story, see this week's Bordon Herald.