Many people cannot afford a lawyer, the advice service says

Many lawyers have abandoned legal aid work in favour of more lucrative private work, the service's annual conference will be told in York.

The "deepening crisis" has left many people with no access to legal aid, chief executive David Harker said.

Lawyers said they would take on more legal aid if the rate of pay was better and there was less paperwork.

Mr Harker said "advice deserts" had developed in parts of the England and Wales where publicly funded legal aid was not available.

For example, in Kent there is no legally aided housing advice, and at Leatherhead, Surrey there are no legal aid lawyers at all.

We would strongly dispute the claim that we are auditing legal aid providers out of existence Legal Services Commission

One man had to travel 60 miles to London for a lawyer to fight an eviction order after failing to find one in Cambridge where he lived, Citizens Advice said.

The soaring costs of criminal cases and asylum appeals had meant there was less legal aid available in areas such as employment and housing.

But the Legal Services Commission said it "strongly" disputed claims there was too much paperwork involved in contracting legal aid work.

A commission spokesman said: "Our current audit system makes sure that public funds are being spent correctly and always provides value for money.

"We would strongly dispute the claim that we are auditing legal aid providers out of existence."

He said the commission recognised the value of Citizens Advice Bureaux and had invested �25m in them this year.

"We would like to reassure them that a national network of legal advice providers still exists; and that we continue to reach those who are socially excluded or living in remote areas of England and Wales," he said.

He also pointed out lawyers who receive a poor audit from the commission were prevented from carrying out legal aid work.