As incidents of appalling debts are increasingly reported in the UK, a legal advice centre to help in tackling debt problems has been launched in Portsmouth.

The centre will help up to 21,000 people seeking legal advice on debt in Portsmouth each year.

Southern Focus Trust, a Portsmouth-based charity, will now work closely with Portsmouth Citizens Advice Bureau to provide an effective channel for helping people on issues ranging from divorce, employment, housing, benefits to debt etc.

It will also operate an outreach programme from community centres in Buckland, Portsea, Somerstown and Paulsgrove.

Chief executive of Southern Focus Trust, Nicola Youern explained that they needed everyone in Portsmouth to know they centre will be offering free general advice and help irrespective of the problems they needed help with.

“We’re here to help and to make a real impact on issues like debt, loss of housing and welfare benefit take-up. However difficult the problem may seem, we can help people find a way forward,” she said.

One of the dozens of Community Legal Advice Centre (CLAC) planned across the country is being pioneered by Portsmouth. And the centres are part of a strategy designed by the Legal Services Commission to provide a focus point for people in need of legal help.

Regional director of the Legal Services Commission in the south, Geoff Mountjoy reiterated that getting the right legal counselling in time could prevent people from losing their home or having their children taking into care.

“Portsmouth’s new Community Legal Advice centre will really make a difference for people who would normally have to seek advice from a number of different places. They can now get help on a range of legal problems, all under one roof,” he said.