IN THE days before Sony PlayStations and mobile phones, many youngsters would spend their spare time collecting stamps.

The hobby of philately - the collection and storage of postage stamps - was as common as tictac-toe and hopscotch.

But during the last decade youngsters in Merseyside and Cheshire have turned their back on stamp collecting, to such an extent that a bursary worth thousands of pounds available for young philatelists has not been claimed.

The National Lottery was ready to dole out £2,500 to a project aimed at alerting children to the benefits of stamp collecting.

But most of the money is sitting in a bank - because the North Western Federation of Philatelic Societies cannot find any youngsters who are interested.

Federation officials had hoped to get schoolchildren to take part in a competition linked with a big philatelic exhibition in Chester.

But not one of the 98 schools circu-lated replied, and only 20 children turned up to view special displays at the exhibition.

The other activities scheduled to benefit from the Lottery Awards for All donation - an internet project and a youth seminar - have still to see the light of day.

"We are still working on the web research project, and two seminars held in Preston and Manchester South attracted hardly any young people," said Alan Randall Jones, a former president of the Federation who is in charge of the project.

He added: "We are hoping to put on a workshop over a weekend next March in Liverpool, but we are not sure of the exact venue yet.

"Some of the Lottery money was used for postage and advertising, but most of it is still sitting in a bank until a suitable project comes along.

"So far there has been very little interest from youngsters."

Terry Bennett, a stamp collector of more than 40 years standing, says the hobby is dying out because of increased competition for children's leisure time.

Mr Bennett, from south Liverpool, believes stamp collecting now faces a battle to survive in the face of the rising tide of leisure pursuits steeped in high technology.

He said: "This is something that all stamp collectors are concerned about.

"There are so many things that stamp collecting is up against - things like computers, television and games - and it is struggling to compete. It is easier for children to turn on their computers and sit playing games than it is to go out and actually do something."

Mr Bennett, 56, is a collector of first day covers, postage stamps which are put together on a presentation card on the day of release.

He also believes a lack of stamp collecting clubs in schools means children are not given an opportunity to develop a love for philately.

He added: "I think that there is no longer any interest in this kind of pursuit in schools.

"Once upon a time there used to be stamp collecting groups in most schools, but this has faded away. Teachers simply do not have the time to run such clubs anymore.

"It is really sad that children don't collect stamps like they used to because it is something you can get a great deal of interest out of.

"I picked it up as a kid and I am still doing it 40 years on. Maybe it will become fashionable again."