RESTAURANT owners have pledged to raise at least £5,000 for an Upton rescue service, after it was repeatedly turned down for Lottery funding.

Nick and Jay Jethwa, of Bristol eaterie Tiffins, will hold a Bollywood theme evening in the city to raise cash for the Severn Area Rescue Association.

The couple had read in the press that SARA was one of many organisations ineligible for funding as its work does not benefit all the specified groups.

Dave Walker, station commander at Upton, said he was thrilled to have got the support of Mr and Mrs Jethwa.

"We're over the moon to be perfectly honest," he said. The cash will help replace SARA's 14-year-old Land Rover.

Awards For All spokesman Julia Sweidan said that three of the applications were turned down as there was not sufficient funds and the fourth was refused as SARA did not match the funding criteria as closely as other organisations.

She added that, in 2001, SARA had been awarded more than £8,000 in Lottery funding.