COUNCIL chiefs in Christchurch are calling on the government to give a free ticket to ride for over-60s across the country.

The tiny ancient borough with the highest pensioner population in the country is already struggling to foot the bill - more than £500,000 in the current year - for the present concessionary fares scheme limited to the borough's own senior citizens on journeys in and around Christchurch.

And as a tourist town which attracts older visitors from all over the country, civic leaders fear the government's proposals to provide free travel for the over-60s and disabled people across the whole of England from 2008 will add an extra burden on local council tax payers.

Now the borough's own chancellor, resources committee chairman Cllr Mike Duckworth, is proposing a motion at next week's council meeting in a bid to prevent the extra cost falling on the town hall coffers.

His motion, seconded by council leader Cllr Alan Griffiths, suggests the new scheme should be entirely funded by central government to avoid penalising popular destinations.

Cllr Duckworth said: "We have already seen how much the current concessionary fares scheme has cost us due to the large number of over-60s who live in the borough.

"Christchurch is an attractive place to visit, particularly for older people as it is fairly flat and compact. The rules of the extended scheme dictate that the council where a passenger boards a bus is responsible for that fare.

"It is impossible for us to predict how many visitors will take advantage of the scheme in Christchurch, but it is likely to be fairly significant.

"It is unfair for council tax payers to have to bear the brunt of these costs, so we are proposing to liaise with neighbouring councils who will be in a similar situation to lobby the government and demand that the new scheme is funded out of central government coffers."