WEST Devon Citizens Advice Bureau is to reduce its opening hours from this month, due to a reduction in its funding.

As well as receiving a cut of 11% in its grant from Devon County Council, this year the charity has also seen the end of a grant from the Department of Business Innovation and Skills which had helped increase the opening hours to the current level from March 2009.

Barbara Osborne, manager of West Devon CAB, said: 'We are obviously disappointed not to have found a replacement funding package for the BIS grant but will continue to investigate all avenues.

'While the majority of our team are volunteers, we need to find the funds to pay for the supervision and checking of advice sessions to ensure that the quality of the advice we give matches the needs of our clients and the high standards required by our auditors.'

West Devon CAB is currently working with other CABs in Devon to negotiate a three-year funding package with Devon County Council.

'The funds granted by our county, district and local councils form a very important basis for the CAB to build its services upon, but they do not cover the full cost,' added Mrs Osborne.

The reduction in opening hours will not affect the CAB's Advice Plus project which is funded until March 2014 by the Big Lottery.

This project works in partnership with other agencies and provides an outreach advice service at Hatherleigh Market, Bere Alston Surgery, Okehampton College and Princetown Village Centre as well as a home visiting service. This means people who are unable to reach the bureau can get the help they need.

West Devon CAB's Trustee Board is hoping that the reduction in opening hours will only be temporary and has shortened the open days across the week rather than losing days altogether.

The new opening hours will be — Monday, Tavistock 10am to 1pm, Tuesday, Okehampton 10am to 1pm, Wednesday, Tavistock and Okehampton 10am to 1pm, Thursday, Okehampton 10am to noon, Friday, Tavistock 10am to noon.

Chairman Noel Cartwright said: 'Optimistically, we hope that we will be able to extend the hours again if any of our funding applications prove fruitful. Despite the reduction in opening hours I would still encourage people to get in touch with us as soon as possible if they need help and advice. It is much better to nip a problem in the bud before it becomes more difficult and complicated.'

Anyone who needs free, impartial, confidential and independent advice from the CAB can call 08444 111 444 or drop into the Ockment Centre, Okehampton or at Kingdon House, Tavistock.

The new opening hours and links to information on a variety of subjects are available on the CAB website http://www.westdevoncab.org.uk">www.westdevoncab.org.uk