THE numbers of people visiting a unique exhibition on Alfred the Great has been lower than hoped.

Alfred the Great - Warfare, Wealth and Wisdom brought together a collection of artefacts connected to the Anglo- Saxon king.

On show have been manuscripts, weapons, coins, religious pieces, household items and the priceless Alfred Jewel.

At its launch at the W i n c h e s t e r Discovery Centre in February, Caroline Dudley, head of museums and archives, said she hoped for 25,000 visitors.

However the latest figures after the Easter holidays show only 12,102 visitors have seen it.

The council had trumpeted the show, which closes on Sunday, as a "once in a lifetime" chance to see some of the treasures of Anglo-Saxon England from the ninth century, when Alfred started to unite the English against the Viking invaders.

Mrs Dudley said: "It's a unique exhibition, a gathering of the most important relics from the reign of Alfred.

"We think it will attract interest from across Hampshire and nationwide, even foreign tourists."

A council spokesman said: "It's slightly fewer, but we are still pretty pleased with the results. This is the last week and we want people to come and have a look."

The exhibition has cost £200,000, with most of funding coming from bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Government.

The exhibition marked the opening of the £7m Discovery Centre.