A BID for CCTV in Alton Town Centre has been unsuccessful.

The application by Hampshire Constabulary was submitted to the Home Office which felt it "lacked the detail they needed to see".

The news comes as a set back for the town after it received 100 per cent support from Alton Town Council when the idea was presented to them at the beginning of the year.

The idea had also received 100 per cent community support.

The scheme which was to include five cameras in Alton and one in Four Marks had received support from Hampshire Police and the district council who put in a provisional bid for 100 per cent capital funding to set the system up at an estimated cost of £106,000.

However, concerns about the long-term sustainability of running the system and support from other organisations was expressed by the Home Office.

The town council strongly supports the idea of CCTV and is not giving up on the idea. It will seek further information from the police as to when a future bid can be made and a new plan submitted.

CCTV for Alton was one of 800 outline bids to be submitted to the Home Office of which more than 300 schemes with the potential value of around £108 million have been shortlisted for funding and have been invited to submit final detailed proposals.

Future government programmes, to be announced later this year, will provide more funding opportunities for CCTV and the town council hopes a new bid can be made then.

Alton Inspector Nigel Hindle was disappointed that the bid was unsuccessful but is hopeful it will finally get the go ahead.

The same day Inspector Hindle received the news from the Home Office, he also received a letter from the town council confirming its support for the scheme.

"I am confident that at some stage in the future we will get something in," said Inspector Hindle.

"It's important we have what everyone else has," he said, recognising that Alton can be seen as an "easy target", attracting criminals from outside the area.

"Now the council is in favour we will make sure we get a good strong multi-agency bid next time. We've got all the detail here and we have to make sure we have all our partners in on the bid."