All the residents representatives on a community group have dramatically quit in a row over how thousands of pounds of grants are being spent.

Seven members of the Outer Shirley Regeneration Board claim money that should have been spent in their area is being diverted to projects elsewhere in Southampton.

Last night they resigned saying their community could lose £87,000 of ring-fenced funding to developments at Weston Shore - because the money could not be spent in time.

With the seven community representatives gone from the board, that just leaves three councillors: Dennis Harryman, Ceren Davies and Edwina Cooke on the group.

The cash, from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), had been set aside for projects in the Outer Shirley area.

But due to a "use it or lose it" deadline, council bosses are now looking to spend the money elsewhere in the city, sparking outrage from the Outer Shirley community.

At a meeting of the Outer Shirley board community representatives labelled it "the straw that broke the camel's back" before announcing their resignations.

The project hit further setbacks after the council "programme team" failed to attend the meeting, blaming "communication problems" between the council and the board's community representatives.

The representatives accused the council of overlooking local projects such as improving facilities for Brendan Football Club and a community garden project.

Chairman Sue Fletcher said: "We have always known the money had to be spent by March. We have countless projects in the area that we are now being forced to accept will not get funding.

"It's ridiculous. We could have spent the money ten times over."

The criticism comes after it was revealed that the council planned to use £87,000 to fund developments at Weston Shore, an area currently undergoing a £2m facelift, despite opposition from the board.

Mrs Fletcher added: "Regeneration money was never meant to be a plug for the council's deficits or shortcomings in project management."

Community representative Don Thomas said: "The community has been silenced. It seems that community involvement is fine until the community gets involved."

The decision on how the money is spent now falls to the Southampton Regeneration Executive, a group which the board called "non-local, non-elected, council-funded agency representatives."

A council spokesman said: "The funding for the Single Regeneration Budget 6 has come from SEEDA and must be used by the end of March.

"If it is not, the money could be lost to the area.

"Both Outer Shirley and Weston have been part of the SRB6 programme and have received funding for projects.

"Currently, projects are being developed in the Outer Shirley area to be funded from the remaining SEEDA grant of approximately £600,000.

"Priority is being given to projects in the Outer Shirley area and funding will only be allocated to the Weston Shore area if there continues to be unallocated funding."