A SCHEME run by the Citizens' Advice Bureau to help people living in rural areas solve their debt problems has closed because of a lack of funding.

The rural outreach programme, which for six years has provided advice sessions in Hawes, Leyburn, Reeth, Catterick Garrison and Colburn, was stopped on Monday.

A home visit scheme will also be cancelled. A job will be lost.

The announcement means Richmondshire residents must travel to Richmond to meet one of the service's trained advisors.

Angie House, Richmondshire CAB manager, said staff were saddened by the decision.

"It is a terrible situation that such a successful and necessary service has to close," she said. "It will have a huge impact on the residents of Richmondshire in most need and who have no one else to turn to.

"Unfortunately, at a time when the Government has highlighted the issues of the pressures facing residents of rural communities and their lack of access to services, we have to close the service helping to address these problems."

The main service in Richmond is funded by North Yorkshire County Council and Richmondshire District Council. The CAB had to find extra funding to pay for the outreach program, based in community offices and at the Almond Tree Project, in Catterick Garrison, and at Colburn library.

The announcement of the closures comes after an application for a £30,000 grant to the Local Strategic Partnership, run by the county council, was refused.

The money would have come from £2m set aside from council tax collected from second home owners.

County councillor Carl Les said the bid was refused because the CAB had already received money from the second homes fund.

"I hope we can modify the criteria because I don't see where else funding will come from. The service receives no money from the Government, yet the Government is continually signposting people to go and use their local advice bureau."