A HAMPSHIRE crime-fighting group has expressed disappointment at having its application for cash aid rejected by the county's police authority.

Alresford and District Neigh-bourhood Watch Assoc-iation was hoping to land £157 to help with half the cost of buying new signs. But the authority decided that it could not help it with the request, fearing that any grant to one of the 6,000 associations in the county would lead to the floodgates being opened.

Instead, it is the policy to give funds to the county's umbrella organisation, if approached.

In the ten years since the association was formed in Alresford, near Winchester, it has grown to 55 watches that cover the whole of the town.

But now at least a third of the 62 signs need replacing, as they all will eventually, and the association needs £314 to complete the job. Honorary secretary of the association Geoff Harris said: "We are clearly disappointed as we want to do what we can as far as Alresford is concerned.

"We have worked very hard to get the best possible results in the area, and we simply want to maintain our standards.

He added: "I am not at all surprised as we were advised that there is not a lot of money available and we felt there could be more urgent causes going before the panel. We all paid for the signs when we set it up ten years ago and we will have to consider it at our next meeting in December and take it from there."

Alresford has the chance tomorrow to find out more about crime prevention at the annual general meeting of the Neighbourhood Watch Assoc-iation at John Pearson Hall, West Street, starting at 7.30pm.