CASTLE Point Council has refused to reinstate a grant of £2,000 to help budding sports stars.

The cash handout was axed in 2004 because of financial difficulties at the council.

At a full council meeting on Monday, April 14, Canvey Independent councillors called for the grant to be reintroduced. However, councillors voted 11 to 15 against bringing it back.

Ray Howard (Con, Canvey West) said the council had to be prudent and pointed out it already gave £160,000 every year to voluntary organisations in Castle Point.

However, Kevin McBrear-ty, secretary of Castle Point Sports Council, said he was disappointed councillors were against reintroducing the grant.

Until 2004 the Sports Council, a voluntary organisation representing around 20 clubs in Castle Point, managed the money on behalf of the council.

It gave out around £150 from the grant to help rising young sports stars who had reached county level with the costs of equipment or travelling to competitions.

Mr McBrearty said the sports council understood the grant had to stop in 2004 due to Castle Point Council's financial difficulty.

However, he said the sports council asked for it to be reinstated because the council's finances had improved.

John Johnston, a PE teacher at King John School, whose own daughter Lauren was one of the last to receive a grant from the fund, said: "We were very grateful for it. There are lots of talented kids out there and they are not all from well-off families."