LANCASTER will be come the first city between Manchester and Carlisle to get its very own community law centre.

A steering committee has been set up and two members of Lancaster City Council, Carol Broad and Eileen Blamire, have been asked to join.

The law centre will be operated by a charitable company.

A spokesman said: "The Law Centre will deliver a quality assured legal service in social welfare to citizens within Lancaster City Council's local government area who would not otherwise be able to afford legal services either privately or with the assistance of Legal Aid."

The spokesman added: "The idea behind the law centre is that there should be equal access to justice for all. One legal system for the rich and those entitled to legal aid and no system at all for those outside the scope of legal aid is simply not something we should be proud of in a modern European society.

"Let's hope we are now a little closer in Lancaster to a system of justice that will not depend upon how much you earn or whether you qualify for legal aid but that everyone will be able to enjoy the same quality of legal service no matter what their financial status may be."

The Law Centre is now looking for businesses who can help the charitable company raise funds. For more information call 751112.

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