DEBT advice agencies in Dorset which help people struggling to pay the bills have received a financial boost from Wessex Water.

The water company has donated £74,000 to Citizens Advice Bureaux in towns including Weymouth, Dorchester and Bridport.

Head of consumer affairs at Wessex Water, Sue Lindsay, said the company wanted to help customers in financial distress get the support and advice they needed. She said: “We want to make it as easy as possible for customers in Dorset with severe financial difficulties to pay their water bills and the role of debt advice agencies is a fundamental part of this.

“The support they give our customers could help them turn their lives around and prevent their water bills from becoming a growing strain on their finances.”

The water company has funded debt advice agencies for a number of years and money recently donated enabled some organisations to continue employing staff who offered essential debt advice.

Others put the grant towards resources or used it to fund the work of advisors responsible for training volunteers and helping them develop their skills.

Mrs Lindsay said that the company recognised that debt advice was essential for some customers.