A CHARITY offering support to homeless people is closing their office in Colchester.

Shelter, in Crouch Street, offers advice on housing and helps tackle homelessness.

However bosses have decided there is greater need elsewhere, and due to a lack of staff they will no longer be able to offer one-to-one support.

A Shelter spokesman said: “Following a lengthy internal consultation, Shelter took the difficult decision that we were not the best organisation to provide these services in Colchester.

"This is because organisationally, we are focusing our efforts on delivering holistic advice and support through our 12 urban ‘hubs’ in some of England’s biggest cities with the greatest homelessness and housing need.

"Owing to recent staff changes, with some staff leaving, we will be unable to offer a full face-to-face service over the remaining few months but will continue our court desk scheme.

"If anyone in Colchester needs Shelter’s help they can get advice online or via our helpline.”

The news comes at the UK faces its biggest housing shortfall on record, according to research.

Heriot-Watt University says there is a backlog of about four million new homes.

It means 340,000 new homes need to be built each year until 2031.

This figure is significantly higher than the Government’s current target of 300,000 homes annually.

One resident from Colchester who used the service during a court process said: "We were due to be evicted last August. We had no rental arrears but were served with a Section 21 notice.

"Shelter have represented me twice, they are amazing and do all they can to help.

"To go to court is not nice but to go with a Shelter lawyer makes you feel so much stronger and makes you stand up for your rights.

"The thought of losing your home is horrific, knowing Shelter were there was amazing.

"They were like a crutch to me and I really do not know what would have happened without them."

The charity will still be offering a phone and online service, which Tina Bourne, Colchester councillor responsible for housing, said was good news.

She said: "There is a huge homeless issue in places like London, Edinburgh and Manchester. Shelter must feel the hubs will have the most impact in these places.

"Colchester is quite small and is not a metropolitan borough, so I understand why they have made that decision.

"Quite a few residents use their online support and there was a fairly limited service in the office anyway.

"We should almost celebrate the fact we are not one of those 12 areas that have the most need."