Ledbury JobCentre could close under a national shake-up of the benefits system set to be completed by 2006.

The idea is create a chain of 1,000 "one stop shops" dealing with all 57 separate benefit enquires, from claims for Job Seekers Allowance to opportunities and help for disabled people and lone parents.

But Ledbury JobCentre, in Bye Street, may not be one of the revamped centres, which would mean proposals to close it would go through.

Jo Carroll, spokesman for of the Department of Work and Pensions said the status of centres in Herefordshire and Worcestershire is currently being reviewed.

She said even before the review, there were question marks over the Ledbury centre's future.

She said: "A lot of claims can actually be made on the telephone, including new benefits claims. We are bringing the service in the 21st century.

The news of the possible closure has been met with dismay by former town mayor, Philip Sharpe-Neal, who liased between the JobCentre and Just Juice when 180 job losses were announced at Christmas 1998.

Mr Sharpe-Neal said: "To close Ledbury Job Centre would be a great pity and a retrograde step, given our past experiences.

"When the Just Juice job losses came, staff at the centre were prepared to lay on courses for those seeking work and were quite up-beat when I went to see them, as the mayor of the day."

Tony Bradford, a single parent who makes use of the centre, said: "To close it would be a loss of investment in the town and its people, and it's no use saying people can use the phone. Most poor people do not have land-lines."

Unemployment in Ledbury has been very low for several years, but Ledbury's biggest employer, Amcor Flexibles, announced last month that up to 40 local jobs will be affected with the moving of a production line to Bristol next year. The company says it would be working to seek alternatives to compulsory redundancy.