LOCAL MP David Davies has reacted strongly to claims that the area's public transport network would be 'adequate' enough to support jobseekers forced to travel across the county, or even over the border, if the proposed closure of Mon-mouth JobCentre goes ahead.

In a letter to Mr Davies, pictured, Linda Badman, acting customer service director for Job-Centre Plus in Wales, said in the event that the Mon-mouth office did close, customers would be given the opportunity to transfer their claims to Aber-gavenny, Chep-stow, Coleford or to Ross-on-Wye.

She also said officials had examined the public transport facilities to these offices and were 'satisfied' that the services were 'adequate' to enable people from Monmouth to attend mandatory appointments. Mr Davies rejected the claims as "woefully inaccurate".

"Everyone who lives in Monmouthshire knows that the public transport network is simply insufficient to meet the demands of people desperately looking for work," he said. "Jobseekers in Monmouth will be forced to travel to Abergavenny or Chepstow, or even have to cross the border to get to Coleford or Ross-on-Wye.

"As well as the length of time these bus journeys can take to get to their destination and the inevitable wait for the return journey, there is also the added financial burden of buying tickets.

"It is ludicrous that a town of 80,000 inhabitants will be denied facilities to help local people find employment and instead they will be further penalised by having to waste time and money on unnecessary travel.

"Jobcentre Plus should be thinking more about helping the people of Monmouth and less about minimising its costs at the expense of the unemployed."