THE county’s “hatch, match and dispatch” registration service is facing big cuts to the way it works.

Rural offices are expected to operate out of information centres on reduced hours or even close altogether.

Officially, Herefordshire Council says the idea of “relocating” market town offices to information or customer service centres is at the consultation stage and in line with on-going cost cuts.

Right now, the registration service is provided from the Register Office at Hereford Town Hall and branch offices in Leominster, Bromyard, Kington, Rosson- Wye and Ledbury.

At Hereford Town Hall last week registrars were told that, from April 1, the council wants to centralise the registration of births, deaths and marriages in Hereford, offering the market towns a reduced, appointment-only births and deaths service on selected days, out of local information centres.

Under this plan, Bromyard would be serviced from Ledbury and Kington from Leominster and all the market town ceremony rooms would close with Hereford being the only register office available for weddings and civil partnerships.