WORTHY causes and organisations are set to suffer following a decision to scrap the Bournemouth Lottery.

Members of the council's cabinet decided the Bournemouth Lottery must go following recommendations from officers who say it is no longer "viable".

The National Lottery and the closure of the kiosk in the Lower Gardens, which sold 99 per cent of all tickets, are being blamed as the main causes.

During the past three years Bournemouth Lottery awarded £8,000 to Boscombe Lifeguards towards rescue boats and equipment and £10,000 for the Cherry Tree Nursery at Northbourne for its horticultural project for people with learning difficulties.

Bournemouth in Bloom has received cash towards the cost of pedestals and floral displays.

Elmrise County First School received £2,000 towards its toy library from Bournemouth Lottery.

Bournemouth Lottery's remaining balance of £8,565 will be used to purchase four all-terrain wheelchairs for disabled people on the sands, the cabinet decided.

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Ben Grower said: "It made some extra money for some very good projects in Bournemouth.

"It is a pity it won't be able to continue but we don't have any choice.

"There will be some voluntary organisations which might not be able to get help with some things from the council that we've been able to help with in the past."

John Adams, chairman of Bournemouth in Bloom, said: "Part of our funding came from the local lottery. If we can't get funding we won't survive. Then we won't have flowers in Bournemouth town centre and its outlying districts."

The cabinet heard that the last two lotteries have "failed to generate sufficient income to keep expenditure within the guidelines set by the Gaming Board".

Alternatives such as reducing costs, generating more income through advertising on the tickets themselves or seeking to increase ticket sales, were rejected by the cabinet.