A CRUCIAL counselling service in Trowbridge could be forced to close after fears it is to lose a major funding source.

Help Counselling Services, which offers support to a wide range of people including those who have been abused, battling against drink or drugs or suffering domestic violence, has been receiving cash from Wiltshire County Council since it was launched 20 years ago.

But £19,000 of funding could now be pulled, meaning the office at Bridge House in Stallard Street will have to shut at the end of March.

Bosses are desperately trying to raise awareness of their plight in a bid to secure extra funding.

Service manager David Thompson, who received his redundancy notice last week, said: "A few years ago the grant was cut back causing us to cut back staffing levels in order to survive. This time there is nothing left to cut. We have been here before, so I hope I will be able to tear up the redundancy notice again and carry on."

Mr Thompson, 58, said the closure would see an influx of people turning elsewhere for help, putting pressure on doctors' surgeries and mental illness homes.

Currently the service supports 200 people a year on top of daily telephone counselling calls.

"Many who are desperate for support will be faced with paying £30 to £40 per session for private sector counselling," said Mr Thompson.

"This is highly inappropriate and unfeasible for many clients. Those in crisis will have to cope, go under, be prescribed anti depressants, have to stay in Green Lane, Devizes or maybe even attempt suicide before they get the help they need.

"Help is a very low cost service our needs are not great, but our help to the community is immense.

"We relieve the pressure of public services such as social services, the health authority, the police and the Department of Employment."

Mr Thompson is urging people to write to MP Andrew Murrison and Wiltshire County Council with their objections.

Dr Ray Jones, the county council's director of adult and community services, said: "There are a number of counselling services which have built up around Trowbridge and west Wiltshire, and some have grown on the basis of short term funding.

"It is difficult to sustain all these separate services and it has been difficult for some time.

"What we are looking at doing, with the help of the primary care trust, is to draw up a specification for a consolidated service for west Wiltshire and invite organisations to make proposals to provide that service and then deliver the best arrangement."

For more details about ways you can help phone (01225) 767459.