AN ELEVENTH-hour bid to save Eastleigh's popular holiday playscheme was crushed last night.

The axe fell as the ruling Liberal Democrats honoured their pledge to keep the borough's portion of the council tax below inflation, setting the lowest rise in bills in the county.

Councillors took three hours to give the green light to a 1.5 per cent increase.

The borough part of the bill for an average Band D property will rise from £145.10 to £147.67.

This is only a small chunk of the council tax tab that will eventually land on Eastleigh doormats.

Band D residents will also have to pay £869.40 for county council services, £113.76 for the police authority and £52.11 for the fire service.

The average Band D bill, excluding parish and town council precepts, will be £1,182.94 - an increase of £38.03.

To keep the council tax at one per cent below inflation, the Lib Dems have also scrapped Eastleigh's tourism unit and increased parking charges.

Council leader Keith House described the budget as one of "innovation and efficiency".

He said the tax rise looked to be the lowest in the south-east and the second lowest district increase in the country.

Conservative and Labour groups both tried to win a reprieve for the holiday playschemes, which have run for more than 30 years.

Tory leader Councillor Godfrey Olson said: "These schemes are of immense benefit to lots of children."

He added that the budget proposals would hit the vulnerable and called for the tourism section to be saved until a further review had been carried out.

"Tourism is a great economic generator," he said.

Labour group leader Councillor Peter Luffman said: "We would like to see the holiday playschemes stay.

"We believe they are a worthwhile project."

The Labour group had also called for a council tax increase of 2.5 per cent rather than 1.5 per cen, yielding the council an extra £52,000.

Defending the decision to axe the playschemes, Cllr House said that they were being

subsidised under current arrangements to the tune of nearly £120 per family per year.

He said : "We are now one of just a handful of councils to run these services.

"Most councils have long since withdrawn from this area as costs have risen and lifestyles have changed."

EASTLEIGH Council tax bands - excluding town and parish council precepts- for 2005/2006 will be:

Band A £788.62p ( an increase of £25.34p)

Band B £920.07 (an increase of £29.59p)

Band C £1,051.50 p (an increase of £33.80p)

Band D £1,182.94p (an increase of £38.03p)

Band E £1,445.81p (an increase of £46.47p)

Band F £1,708.69p (an increase of £54.93p)

Band G £1,971.56p ( an increase of £63.37p)

Band H 2,365.88p (an increase of £76.06p)