A Winchester community worker has spoken of his frustration after funding bosses pulled the plug on him, his project and three housing estates.

Jamie Scott, from Stanmore, has urged local authorities: "Get in the real world."

"They are playing with the communities that are precious to me and they're playing with my life as a worker," he said.

In January, 2000, Mr Scott (38) won a three-year appointment to the Winchester Neighbourhood Initiative, which covers Stanmore, Highcliffe and Winnall.

But Mr Scott claims the workload was too great, proper community networks were not set up and the aims were too idealistic.

"It was a three-year fix," said Mr Scott who had previously been a community worker in Stanmore for nine years.

"From the outset, you know that you can't really get a community to turn round in three years. You have to think long-term - about five to 10 years.

"No community stands still for too long and issues keep coming up, even after you might have solved some.

"The authorities wanted the community to become "self-sustainable" - that was the buzz word. But how on earth does a community that doesn't stand still become self-sustainable?

"What the local authorities failed to realise was that residents were fed up with interference. This was a classic example."

Mr Scott also delivered damning criticism of the voluntary sector, which, he says, repeatedly failed to speak up for the real needs of a community.

"The voluntary sector tries to please local authorities because that's where their funding comes from. But they have lost the whole power to stand up to local authorities and demand that they properly support us with long-term vision and funding.

"There's so much to do in the communities and so much more support is needed out there," he added.

Mr Scott said that when the short-term cash dried up at the end of last year and his job was scrapped, it created a "void" on city estates - a view echoed by residents who used to work with him.

Bryan Whitfield, formerly a Winchester Neighbourhood Initiative representative for Stanmore, said: "We felt absolutely disgusted when Jamie left. Without any doubt, we're missing out now - on services and on getting more money-because we don't know how to access them.

"The fact is that there's nobody here leading the community."

The Revd Robert Teare, formerly a Winnall representative, added: "We are in the process of making plans but it all takes that much longer without a community worker, who has the time and knowledge."

The broad aim of the project, run by Hampshire County Council, Winchester City Council and Winchester Area Community Action, was to "define and meet the community needs of the area".

WACA chief executive, Diana Wooldridge, admitted that no replacement worker had been appointed but said: "We saw this as a way to move things forward in the community and that's what we're still trying to do."

She said that various residents' groups and city council staff were working on "action plans" for the three areas, which might lead to further funding and projects.

"Winchester Neighbourhood Initiative was always intended as a three-year project to enable communities to come up with action plans," she added.