A PRESTON health watchdog is being forced to turn people away because it has no staff.

Community health councils, which keep an eye on local hospitals, were told to close down by September after a government overhaul. But recently they were given a reprieve until December.

But the Preston council, with offices in Lancaster Road, was too far ahead with the closing down process, and now has just one member of staff running the service.

And chief officer Deborah Smethurst cannot even open the office doors due to safety reasons, and a notice has been put up turning people away.

Mrs Smethurst said: "It's soul destroying to have helped people so far along with complaints. To have been their key contact and to make some headway, with issues that are very close to the heart with them. It's awful to leave people not knowing what they can do and where they can turn."

CHCs have existed for nearly 30 years, and were behind exposing Liverpool's Alder Hey organ scandal. From December they will be replaced with a number of different services, some run by the county council, and former staff will be expected to find other jobs or re-train.

But the council's 22 volunteers have pledged to carry on working until the bitter end, despite having no offices or paid staff.

The volunteers will carry on meeting once a month at the town hall, with help from other CHCs including Chorley.

Mrs Smethurst, who leaves her position nexy month, said: "We have very dedicated members in Preston and they have decided they want to carry on but they have no premises and no staff.

"Preston will continue to have an active membership undertaking the monitoring function, to represent local people at meetings, making sure that patients voices are heard."