KILLJOYS! That is what Eastleigh civic chiefs are being branded as they take the axe to the borough's popular holiday play scheme.

An estimated 500 youngsters aged between five and 12 enjoyed council-run play schemes at 11 venues across the borough over a four-week period in the summer holidays last year.

The council says it cannot afford to keep paying for the scheme, which it says is subsidised under current arrangements to the tune of nearly £120 per family per year.

Parents were shocked when they heard through the Daily Echo that the scheme was to be killed off.

There was an angry reaction from a group of Bishopstoke mums, who accused the council of making the children suffer in a cost-cutting exercise.

Mother of two Sheena Arthur, of Itchen Rise, Bishopstoke, said: "I knew that they were talking about changes but I didn't know they were going to axe it."

Mrs Arthur, 31, said her eight-year-old son Timothy took part in last year's playscheme at the community centre in Bishopstoke and thoroughly enjoyed it.

She said it was so popular that there had been queues of children for the facility.

Mrs Arthur said the price was also right for many parents.

As well as providing an antidote to youngsters' boredom during the long summer holidays the play arrangements also gave hard-pressed parents a breather.

Mother of two Laura Andrew, aged 36, of Hartley Road, Bishopstoke, believed that the council was being a killjoy by axing the play schemes to save money.

The playscheme was also enjoyed by hundreds of children on Eastleigh's Nightingale Estate, known as The Aviary.

Play activities were centred on St Francis Hall.

The Rev Gavin Wort, chairman of The Aviary Residents' Association, said: "It will be sad to see them go and they have provided a good service for the Aviary estate and the borough of Eastleigh."

A council spokesman said Eastleigh was one of only three councils in Hampshire which had directly-operated open access schemes and believed that, with the growing number of alternative types of schemes available, it was no longer a priority for the council.

Eastleigh's holiday playscheme was launched in 1971 with just a single venue at the Bishopstoke Road recreation ground.

Chief Insp Jill Baldry of Eastleigh police commented: "Difficult choices have to be made and the loss of any local authority

provision is unfortunate."

She said other options - such as activities provided by the education authority and youth service during school holidays, plus a number of commercial providers - would fill the void.

"We do not feel it will impact on anti-social behaviour or neighbourhood nuisance, as those who attended these activities will find somewhere else."