SOARING levels of red tape are hitting a Warminster charity and bosses fear for its survival. New charges brought in by the Government are threatening the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, in The Avenue, which offers state-of-the-art treatment to sufferers.

Health and safety inspection costs have rocketed by nearly 50 per cent this year to £1,566 and workers fear by 2008 costs will top £4,000. The centre hopes it can survive but says the ever-increasing legislation is affecting their service.

Manager Anne Wawn said: "It has been very frustrating for all of us here.

"We get no help from the NHS so we rely on collections and the small amount we charge for therapy and membership. I understand we need to have procedures in place but this is ridiculous."

The therapy centre offers high-pressure oxygen treatment, which can reduce the swelling in the nervous system to help stabilise some of the problems of MS. It also offers physiotherapy, nutritional advice and counselling.

Mrs Wawn said the service is vital to people from all over west Wiltshire but if costs keep increasing it might not survive.

She said: "I am hoping that we will be OK but if the costs keep going up and up then I don't know.

"We are a fairly comfortable unit here, doing quite well, but for a lot of the smaller centres across the country this could be the end.

"We only charge £15 membership at the moment and ask for a contribution for therapy. We are hoping this won't need to go up but you can never be sure."

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system affecting nerve fibres that can cause upset balance, blurred vision and fatigue. It affects sufferers both mentally and physically and many say they feel isolated because of the disease.

Molly Dando, 64, discovered she had the disease six years ago and has been visiting the Warminster centre for three.

She said: "I honestly don't know what I would do without this place. Sometimes I feel so hopeless, like I am a burden on my husband because I can't do all the things I want to.

"But when I visit the therapy centre I can talk to other people who are going through the same thing. It means mso much more to me than just the therapy and the treatment I'm having."

Peter Owens, national chairman of MS therapy centres, said: "We seem to recall the Government had to make a u-turn with the care homes with such heavy-handed regulations after so many of them closed. Are we next?

"Where would the Government, health and social services be without so many voluntary organisations providing essential services?"