Bosses are fighting to reverse a decision to close the King's Lynn Citizens' Advice Bureau after 20 years in the town.

The two full-time staff and 15 volunteers at the centre were told that, as West Norfolk Council will no longer fund its core service, it would close on June 1.

Nick Gooderson, a volunteer at the branch in St Nicholas Street, said: 'King's Lynn will be the only town in Norfolk without a core CAB presence.

'This will be a disaster for many people, but particularly the disadvantaged.

'Lynn is one of the busiest offices in Norfolk dealing with a multitude of issues including benefit, housing and employment problems.'

The borough council is understood to have given about £67,000 annually to fund the branch.

In an internal email, Gaynor Doy, operational manager at Norfolk CAB, told staff that it still intended to continue an outreach service, although no firm plans had been made.

She said: 'This is extremely sad news for the residents of west Norfolk, our volunteers and staff. We have all worked tirelessly to ensure we meet the local needs.

'We are one of the most effective offices nationally, reaching 100pc audit results on a monthly basis.

'Not only do we support our local residents, many of our volunteers have gone on to secure paid jobs as a result of the skills they have gained through volunteering at the bureau.

'We will be campaigning to see if we can get this decision reversed.'

West Norfolk Council leader Nick Daubney said: 'My understanding is that they have made no approach to us about funding. We need to have a conversation.

'It's hard to make a decision when there's been no discussion. We might have been able to resolve this. It's no way to do business and I would have expected more from them.

'The borough council does not have any statutory duty to fund things.'

How will the office's closure affect you? Email david.bale2@archant.co.uk0