AS thousands of local people rue missing out on tickets for the 2012 Olympics, it has emerged local MP Jeremy Hunt applied for and has been allocated 8,846 tickets to the London Games.

The South West Surrey MP and Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has defended his department's decision to spend £194,525 on tickets – including £33,085 on 256 athletics tickets and £26,600 on 410 beach volleyball tickets.

For full story, see this week's Liphook Herald.