More than 50% of cases are repeat visitors

Manager Denise Candy has written to councillors in the town to alert them to the problem.

She says the bureau often has to close early because it is unable to accommodate any more people - and if a member of staff is ill there is considerable strain on the service to cope.

She is hoping the council will approve an extra �25,000 to fund another member of staff.

Demands increase

She said: "The problem has been getting steadily worse over a number of years.

"We have a huge debt problem in Teignbridge and we have an enormous amount of elderly people who need help with welfare benefits.

"The whole thing has now got saturated and we are not able to deal with the telephone calls we have been getting."

She added that demands on the CAB had increased over the past 10 years.

"Debt management and welfare rights are our core stuff, but we will also help people with employment issues and so on.

"Our volunteers give their time freely, buy they have to be supervised and supported in some way.