GRANT funding to Tavistock's Stannary Brass Band will help it maintain its current level of service to the town and will be put towards three new instruments in the coming years, members of the town council's finance committee last week heard.

The band has received £1,000 a year from the town council in grant support for many years and had applied for a similar figure this year.

Stephen Gray, chairman of Stannary Brass, told members that the new instruments required would cost some £6,400, which the band intended to raise through ticket sales, CD sales and grant applications.

He said: We know that many band members would be unable to afford to learn an instrument without the aid of the band.

'The band has already spent about £20,000 on instruments so that the people of Tavistock will have a brass band of which they can feel proud — there are three remaining instruments to buy.'

Mr Gray said hundreds of people benefited from the existence of Stannary Brass, through its affordable and accessible music. The band also assisted in charity fundraising in the area.

Cllr David Whitcomb said he believed that grants awarded by the council were principally intended to provide 'set-up' funds.

'I would have thought the band would have been quite self-sufficient by now,' he said.

Cllr Brian Trew proposed the council award the band £750 this year — but he warned that in future, grant applications would need to include more specific detail as funds could not be dealt out annually like 'standing orders'.

'We need to keep an eye on these grants,' he said.

The committee agreed Cllr Trew's proposal — the recommendation was due to be ratified by the full council at its meeting on Tuesday night.