A pilot court telephone advice service for individuals who have received a court summons or judgment was launched in the West Midlands and the south west last week.

The service, set up by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Legal Services Commission (LSC), will offer advice on debt, housing, benefits and other issues.

Callers to the helpline, staffed by legal aid solicitors, will receive half an hour of free advice.

Those eligible for legal aid will then receive additional advice free of charge.

LSC chief executive Claire Dodgson said: 'This pilot is valuable for those who have hit hard times, but also to the wider community.

For example, offenders who receive advice on housing and debt issues and, as a result, don't lose their homes or become destitute, are less likely to re-offend.'

Rachel Rothwell