SOME of Warrington's most vulnerable people may miss out on free legal representation if funding changes force a community law centre to reduce its caseload.

The Warrington Law Centre must find thousands of pounds after one of its main backers, the Legal Services Commission, said it will not fund it up front beyond October.

Bosses at the centre at The Boultings in Winwick Road have warned that the help it gives to thousands of people, some of whom are battling to save their homes from repossession, may be jeopardised if they can't secure money from elsewhere.

"The funding changes are coming in October so we are trying to get more by then," said centre manager Modupe Ola-Ojo.

"It would impact on what we can afford to provide for people such as representing them in a court of law.

"These are people who don't approach solicitors because of the costs involved so might try to represent themselves or not even turn up."

The centre operates as a charity and employs around a dozen full-time and part-time paid staff, including solicitors trained in social welfare law and benefits advisors who handle hundreds of legal cases a year.

Ms Ola-Ojo said it was quite possible' some would lose their jobs if the funding issue became even more serious.

The current funding contract with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which is run by the Government, provides 26 per cent of the money it needs to operate.

But Ms Ola-Ojo said the LSC is proposing to treat law centres like regular solicitors firms and revert to paying them only when a set number of cases are done.

"This would mean we wouldn't have enough money to fund all our cases up front," she said.

Warrington Borough Council said that last year it gave the law centre £158,837, which makes up about a 75 per cent of its funding.

nick.lakeman@guardiangrp.co.uk