NEW figures show that Bordon is in one of the top ten wealthiest parliamentary constituencies in the country.

James ArbuthnotÕs ward of North East Hampshire has been ranked the ninth most affluent constituency out of 569, but the local CitizensÕ Advice Bureau has said that none of that wealth is being shared with the town.

A survey published on Wednesday by Barclays Bank assessed how many of its customers in each constituency earn more than £60,000 a year and are therefore, according to the bank, ÒaffluentialsÓ.

The results showed that 9.5 per cent of those living in the North East Hampshire ward fell into this category - not far behind the South West Surrey ward, containing Farnham and Haslemere, which was ranked seventh with 9.7 per cent.

Winchester was trailing in 34th place, with 7 per cent earning over the threshold, and the East Hampshire ward, which includes Alton and Petersfield, failed to figure in the top 50.

Diana Wilson, manager of the Bordon and Whitehill branch of the CAB, told The Herald she did not believe Òthat anyone from around here is earning anything like that figureÓ.

ÒLast year we had over £1 million of debt that we dealt with just in this office in Bordon. That has to tell you something.

ÒA lot of our clients do work, but they are on the minimum wage and some of them are on benefits.

ÒI thing that one of the big problems that we have is that Hampshire is seen as an affluent county, but there are pockets of need around and I think that Bordon is one of them.Ó

Those living in the Hart area of the constituency are believed be those with the wealth, propping up the North East Hampshire figures and hiding the deprivation in Bordon and some neighbouring villages.

The fact that the nearest Barclays Bank branches are in Petersfield, Odiham and Farnham may also have an impact on the figure, as few local residents are likely to bank with Barclays.

But the figures may reflect the wealth in some of the villages around Bordon in the same parliamentary constituency, including Selborne.

However, Mrs Wilson said that local deprivation encompassed Headley and other villages as well as Bordon and Whitehill.

ÒOf 7,778 enquiries last year, 5,070 were from residents of Bordon and Whitehill, around 800 were from Headley, around 300 from Liss and a similar number from Liphook, so it is not just Bordon which has these pockets of need.Ó