THE benefits agency inquiry office in Barnoldswick will now shut on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Instead of opening five mornings a week, the drop-in public caller office will now open Mondays and Fridays only.

But hours will be extended to 9.30am to noon and 1pm to 3.30pm.

The agency says the move will cut costs following a drop in the number of callers and that Barnoldswick people will be able to use the office in Colne instead if necessary.

Pendle Labour MP Gordon Prentice condemned the changes saying: "This will make it more difficult for people without access to private transport and without a phone.

"This is yet another example of a public service being withdrawn for reasons of 'efficiency' and 'cost-cutting'.

"Barnoldswick isn't an insignificant little hamlet.

"The idea that people should have to traipse over to Colne is a nonsense."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.