Funding cuts to legal advice centres in west London will end representation in court for the community's most vulnerable members, lawyers have warned.


Hammersmith and Fulham Council announced plans this month to slash £365,000 from its legal advice budget. The Community Law Centre will lose £210,000 - 80% of its grant - while the Horn of Africa Community Centre will get no future funding.



Gail Bradford, a housing and community care solicitor at the Community Law Centre, said: 'The cuts will have a devastating impact on the legal advice and representation we give local residents. Ironically, many of our clients are referred to us by the councillors themselves - they are their constituents - and yet we're facing these Draconian cuts.'



Councillor Antony Lillis, the council's cabinet member for community services, said: 'We have targeted funding at high-quality, value-for-money legal and welfare advice services... [and] are prioritising generalist services, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, which can serve a higher volume of residents.'



Jonathan Rayner