IT was one of the biggest days in recent history for a proud Hampshire town.

Thousands of well-wishers and school children lined the streets which were dressed up with flags to welcome the Queen and Prince Philip.

Yet the occasion has left Romsey Town council begging for handouts after it cost £38,000 more than expected - including £5,000 on a toilet for Her Majesty which she did not even use.

Council chiefs admitted they did not budget for the half-day visit in June to mark the 400-year anniversary of the granting of the town's Royal Charter.

They were too embarrassed to cancel when they realised the true cost - but they insisted it was worth it.

The total bill for the three-hour visit, taking in Romsey Abbey, a walkabout parade and service at the town hall, was £58,000.

It has virtually wiped out the council's reserves, worth more than a third of its annual £160,000 budget.

Romsey Town clerk Judith Giles revealed the toilet was put in for the Queen at the request of Buckingham Palace - although a replacement had been planned.

"I told them they weren't in pristine condition but they were clean. They said you will have to replace it. There was no argument.

It was you must do it'."

Organisers at the town council estimated the visit would cost up to £20,000 but later rule changes meant police would no longer foot the security bill.

The council says it did not realise it would have to carry out a crowd risk assessment, pay for marshalling and hire barriers and cones.

Now it is asking Test Valley Borough Council to bail it out to the tune of £30,000 for the "unforeseen" extra costs, including an evacuation plan, which it believes Test Valley was responsible for.

Mrs Giles said: "This did not come to light until our first meeting with the police four weeks before the Queen's visit.

"The embarrassment of having to cancel four weeks before the Queen was coming, saying we couldn't afford it - it wouldn't have been in the interest of Hampshire."

Mrs Giles said the visit benefited a lot of businesses in the town and was a "very successful" day attracting at least 5,000 people. She said different arrangements would have been made if the cost was known earlier.

But Romsey hairdresser Nick Martin, who was asked to cover the sign to his new Trevor Mitchell salon during the visit, said many traders lost out as the town centre closed.

"I'm not against the Royal family. It's good she came. But from a business point of view and the cost of the visit I don't think it was necessary."

Mrs Giles said the bill would not hit services or council tax payers.

Hampshire County Council has already coughed up £5,000 and Liberal Democrat county councillor for Romsey and town mayor Mark Cooper is paying £5,000 from his £10,000 member's budget.

The Queen and Duke attended a service at Romsey Abbey before unveiling a charter stone and plaque to commemorate Romsey being awarded Borough status by King James I in 1607.

Test Valley Borough Council will decide tomorrow whether to contribute.