AN office set up to help former servicemen and their relatives has had to shut because of lack of funds and volunteers.

The Royal British Legion's welfare office in Railway Road, Blackburn, has closed only a year after opening.

Chairman of the Blackburn branch Brian Barnes, said they had decided to rent the office in Thwaites House, Railway Road, for a trial period of a year, but it had not been successful enough to justify keeping it open.

It was used as a base for volunteers' work helping former servicemen with financial problems and compensation claims for wartime service and to organising equipment such as wheelchairs and stairlifts for the elderly.

The branch, which raises all its funds in the Blackburn area, had struggled to find the £1,000 a year needed to keep it open and many members were too old to make a commitment to man the office.

Mr Barnes said: "We had hoped people needing help would come into the office, which would save us the cost of travelling to see them, but we found people were still phoning, asking us to visit them."

Mr Barnes said the welfare service still existed and local people could still get help from the British Legion, but they no longer had a full-time office.

He said: "It's not worked out the way we had hoped."

Service chairman Des Owen, who had manned the office three days a week, said he was very sad to see it close, especially in the Legion's 80th anniversary year.

Mr Owen, who served for 22 years in Cyprus, Kenya and many other parts of the world, said: "The office was ideal for our equipment, now we have nowhere."

The Blackburn branch has no permanent club and members meet once a month at the Canterbury Street barracks, Blackburn.

He said membership of the legion was dwindling as members became too old to take part, and few younger ex-servicemen were joining, as the organisation was seen as being for older people.

He said: "We should have a higher profile in Blackburn and losing the office means our profile is even lower. It was a helpful focal point."

He said the Legion would be grateful if anyone could provide them with office space, even for as little as half a day a week.