A BEREAVEMENT counselling charity is to withdraw its services from Stockton because of the lack of financial support.

The Tees Valley and Durham branch of Cruse Bereavement Care has said it gets no financial support from within the town.

As a result, it is being forced to focus its efforts on other parts of the region.

Last month, the Darlington-based charity warned it might have to withdraw GP referral services because of a funding crisis.

It wrote to all the GP s in the region, asking for a donation of £500.

However, it only received one reply, which was negative.

Cruse has already had to stop paying its volunteers' travelling expenses, and has made a part-time secretary redundant.

Chairwoman Joyce Spanswick said the charity had received some funding from local authorities in Darlington and Middlesbrough, and also from charities in Durham, but nothing in Stockton or Hartlepool.

She said: "We can't afford to keep it going.

"If we get anybody coming to us from Stockton, we'll unfortunately be telling them they have to go back to their GP. It's not something we want to have to do.

"The thing is, I can get grants for training, but not for core funding. But there's no point training someone, if there's no money there afterwards."

The charity counselled more than 100 people in Stockton over the past few months.

Ms Spanswick believes part of the problem is because other better-known charities receive funding and donations.

She said: "As a result, our charity is suffering.

"Everybody is bereaved at some point.

"We can give people advice and, if necessary, we accompany them to coroners' inquests.

"We do quite a lot, but don't always get the recognition."

A spokeswoman for North Tees Primary Care Trust said it had received a funding application from Cruse, but had to turn it down.

She said: "Funding applications are prioritised and, although the PCT does work with the voluntary sector, it was unable to prioritise this particular application."

* To contact the charity, write to Cruse Bereavement Care at 2 Maude Street, Darlington, or call 01325-286777.