WHAT an absolute con!

A test match against India, the major cricketing world opponent. Despite its greatest ever advert campaign, the empty seats hugely outnumbered the sold ones.

The weather was perfect, much riding on the match, height of the holiday season and lots of discounted ticket deals.

This type of flagship event for which Eastleigh Council has committed us to borrow £40 million to provide the exaggerated £55 million per year expenditure into the surrounding local economy.

In reality, this is statistical manipulation at its worst.

Putting Eastleigh on the map? The world calls it the Ageas Bowl, SOUTHAMPTON.

Apart from the egotistical councillors who attempt to revel in its glamour, it is a shocking example of borrowing today for all the bad old reasoning.

Such borrowing that has shot the economy and is passed on the future generations to resolve.

Even with the “Rose Bowl’s” corporate sponsorships, Sky TV input and charity grants it has continually made losses.

Its only aim seems to be to hold an Ashes test match.

Nothing wrong for an individual to chase that dream, but for it to be funded by hard-pressed taxpayers whose help and needs from their council of far more basic and important and should be focused elsewhere, is surely simply wrong.

J C MARTIN, Hedge End.