LEDBURY'S once a month outreach service by Citizens Advice Bureau is now up and running, with the first interviews taking place this week.

The CAB moved back to the town, to hold pre-booked interviews at the Community Hall, after the town council agreed to pay £5000 a year for the service.

The last CAB presence in the town was two years ago, when Herefordshire Council decided to pull the plug on funding and the branch moved out.

Mark Calvin, chairman of the trustees of Herefordshire CAB, spoke at last week's annual town meeting in the Community Hall, Lawnside Road, and said the service was still facing "something of a financial challenge".

But he added: "We are operating a system where we can continue to help people in need of support. They can book appointments so people can come on a given day at a given time. Ledbury will be the third outreach service provided by Herefordshire CAB."

Mr Calvin stressed that the CAB was a "stand alone charity" that increasingly helped people in work, not only the unemployed.

He said: "Over half the people we deal with are actively in employment."

But he also provided statistics which showed that, since the Ross CAB outreach service opened last October and to the end of January this year, it had managed to secure around £135,000 in benefits for its clients in Ross."

He said that this money would be ploughed back into the local economy and would help to boost it.

The return of the CAB to Ledbury was supported by Ledbury's mayor, Cllr Debbie Baker, who said: "I think it will be very welcome, and it's good news for the community."

Herefordshire CAB can be contacted on 0344 826 9685.

Its telephone advice service is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm.