THE charity that organises Petersfield's annual firework night display faces a hefty bill from the town council for clean-up costs and the removal of fly tipping waste.

Petersfield Round Table, which uses the town council-owned Bell Hill Rec for the firework display, now wants the town council to help it out after it suffered huge losses on last year's display.

They had budgeted £400 to cover any repairs based on charges in previous years but this year's total bill came in at £579.40 with £157.57 charged for the removal of fly tipping.

The Round Table's fireworks chairman has now told councillors that this extra cost would come straight out of donations to charity.

They paid the clean-up bill of £421.83 and asked councillors to reconsider the charge for the removal of fly-tipping waste but their plea fell on deaf ears.

In a letter to the council, fireworks chairman Graham Hinds, said: "We always tell people who ask us to not leave material for the bonfire. It causes inconvenience to residents, the council and us. If we could prevent it we would."

He said any profits from the event went straight to local charities and good causes.

"Naturally, the direct costs of staging fireworks are met from the proceeds of ticket sales. So costs such as the removal of fly -tipping directly reduce the charity funds," he said.

Mr Hinds also stated that last year's event had made a significant loss of £2,200 excluding the grounds repairs, due to poor weather conditions.

He added that the worst case scenario could see them lose up to 90 per cent of their £7,000 costs.

But the Round Table's request for fly-tipping charges to be waived spilt opinion on the council's finance and general purposes committee.

Councillor Bob Ayer felt the council's charge was out of order.

He said: "Petersfield Round Table do everything in their power to discourage this type of activity. My initial feeling is it is unreasonable for them to pick up the bill.

"Irresponsible people are dumping rubbish on our land and we are expecting a third party to pick up the tab."

But Councillor John Crowhurst took the opposite view: "If there was not a bonfire it is unlikely there would be fly tipping. If we make a concession to this we are making a donation to charity, which we do not do."

And chairman George Watkinson went one step further.

"The agreement is for them to return the land in the state they took it in. They are asking us to cover the costs in future, which would have to come out of the grounds budget. How can you go into a business expecting to lose £6,000. That is bad business."

But Councillor Brian Keefe raised fears that if the council did not help them out it could spell the end for the display but was adamant the charges could not be waived.

"We are in a dilemma here. It is a good cause and we sympathise with them, but I go along with John Crowhust on this," he said.

The committee agreed to write to Petersfield Round Table to explain that the council does not have the money to waive the charge.

They will also ask the charity to meet with the contracts manager to discuss future events.