CITIZEN S Advice bureau is to close its outreach service in Soham – just as the country is feeling the effects of the credit crunch. CAB s main branch in East Cambridgeshire, in Ely, will stay open – but managers have been forced to make tough decision t

CITIZEN'S Advice bureau is to close its outreach service in Soham - just as the country is feeling the effects of the credit crunch.

CAB's main branch in East Cambridgeshire, in Ely, will stay open - but managers have been forced to make tough decision to close the Soham service at the end of August after the county council withdrew all its financial support last year.

The charity had been funding the weekly benefits-advice service from its own reserves and was given a small amount of grant funding from Soham Town Council, who agreed at a meeting on Monday they would investigate the possibility of wading in to save the service before it was too late. Members asked clerk David Giles to offer up to £1,000 to try to keep the service open until they meet again in September.

"It's a terribly important service in Soham," said Rosemary Aitchison. "There are a lot of people who use it who may not be able to travel to Ely - and they could do with more than one day, really."

County Councillor Judy Broadway added: "The funding cuts from last year are only just being felt - I think it's a great shame."

Beverley Howard, CAB Ely manager said in a letter to councillors that she had applied for grant funding to try to re-open the service.

One member of staff will be made redundant at the end of August.

nEly and Soham Citizen's Advice Bureau offers specialist independent advice on issues such as debt management, benefits, tax credits, council tax and housing. It dealt with more than 7,000 cases in 2006-07.