Bus passengers in Portsmouth have been asked to ‘give the Legal Services Commission a bell’ this week, as two MPs give the green light to 695,000 informative, new bus tickets. The tickets will raise awareness of a free and confidential legal helpline that can help people in Portsmouth with problems like housing, debt, welfare benefits and tax credits as well as employment issues.

Geoff Mountjoy, Regional Director of the South and West Legal Services Commission, Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP, and Mike Hancock MP waved off one of the first buses with the new tickets at Hilsea depot at 10am on Wednesday 19 December 2007.

Geoff explained; ‘This is the first time we have ever used bus tickets to tell people about our helpline in Portsmouth, the tickets will be dispensed on all First buses from the Hilsea depot and all Stagecoach buses from the Farlington depot. The service advertised on the bus tickets is Community Legal Advice, a free telephone helpline and a website, where you can call or log on to get free legal advice. These bus tickets are perfect for raising awareness of our service, as people will be able to take away our contact details when they get off the bus.’

‘Community Legal Advice can help with a range of problems commonly faced by people at this expensive time of year such as benefit payments, advice on repossession and debt. You can ring from the comfort of your own home and speak to an advisor confidentially. We know that there are vulnerable people in Portsmouth who need help with their problems and sometimes find discussing their problems face to face daunting.

People do need to get advice. Figures just released show the average Briton now owes £33,000, nearly double the debt levels of 2000. The sooner you get in touch with us the sooner we can stop a problem becoming a crisis.'

Sarah McCarthy-Fry said;  'I welcome this new initiative to ensure that this free legal advice helpline is widely advertised. At this time of year many people get into debt and then are embarassed about seeking help - this way they can telephone from the privacy of their own home.'

Last year the helpline and website helped 227 people in Portsmouth to sort out their problems. Community Legal Advice is a free telephone service that’s paid for by legal aid - 0845 345 4345 (9am- 6.30pm, Monday to Friday) or visit www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk