HASLEMERE Town Council has agreed to provide extra funding so that the Waverley Inter-Town Sport Competition can continue as an annual event.

The town council was asked to increase its funding from £200 to £700 by Waverley Borough Council, which had threatened to turn the competition into a biennial event if the shortfall was not met.

At the finance and general purposes meeting last Thursday, members agreed to provide the extra cost, but branded Waverley "small-minded" for threatening to reduce the running of the competition.

Brian Howard said: "For me, the recent success we've had in the Rugby World Cup shows there's a big lesson to be learned here - that you are only as good as your resources and all levels of government should be encouraging sport.

"To propose we pay this extra money is such a small-minded approach from Waverley Borough Council and for them to even think of running it as an alternate-year event is a disgrace."

In a letter to town clerk Mike O'Neil, Waverley's sport and recreation manager, David Gill said: "Because the council has had to examine and review all areas of its expenditure in the leisure section to look for savings, the annual inter-sports competition has come under particular scrutiny."

Mr Gill suggested that Haslemere, along with Cranleigh Parish Council and Farnham Town Council should increase funding to cover the event's most expensive cost ,which is the participating towns' t-shirts.

"In effect, if towns contributed towards this element of expenditure, the benefit, ie the t-shirts, would go directly to each town's own participants.

"If this arrangement is satisfactorily received by the town and parish councils, it is hoped that Waverley would then continue to bear the other elements of the inter town expenditure."

The mayor, Michael Foster, proposed to write to Cranleigh Parish Council and Farnham Town Council, stating that the town council would make the £700 contribution.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Foster said: "We were disappointed at this request, but we realise for the good of the town that the we must make this contribution."

The competition has run every year since 1988 and is split into categories for seniors and juniors.

This year's competition in May attracted 900 participants from across the borough with a total of 31 sporting events taking place at locations in and around Farnham.

Haslemere Swimming Club won the junior swimming gala and the aerobics event.