STARTLING new data reveals how legal aid provision in Bolton has been "decimated" by austerity.

The Ministry of Justice figures, published by the BBC today, show that cuts to the legal aid budget across England and Wales have left those in need of support facing only a patchwork of provision.

Hundreds of providers have pulled out of legal aid work over the last six years, as almost half a billion pounds less per year is being spent on contracts, creating deserts across the country.

Bolton is one of the localities which have been severely affected by the cuts, being left with no legal aid providers in multiple areas.

Across Bolton there are currently no legal aid providers for public law, mediation, actions against police, clinical negligence and mental health, for a population of 284,813.

The town also has only one legal aid provider for both community care and welfare law, and just two for both debt and housing law.

Legal aid providers for family law in Bolton stands at nine.

Steve Hynes, director of Legal Action Group, said: “Firms are pulling out of legal aid work. It is quite shocking when you see areas with no coverage or just one supplier."

He added: “For many people across the country getting help from a legal aid lawyer comes down to a postcode lottery which they are destined to lose."

Since 2011 Bolton has lost three active legal aid providers for civil law as well as almost £2 million in spending.

And in criminal law Bolton has lost one active provider as well as more than £1.3 million in spending.

The number of legal aid claims dealt with in Bolton have also been more than halved, falling from 5,128 to 1,787 civil cases and from 7,627 to 4,013 criminal cases.

Legal experts have labelled the collapse in provision as "shocking", highlighting that cuts have "significantly undermined" access to the human rights of justice and a fair trial.

They explain that changes to the law and funding have left people relying on charitable organisations, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, including those with mental health problems and refugees and asylum seekers.

Rosie Brighthouse, a lawyer at Liberty, one of the UK's oldest human rights and civil liberties organisations, said: “These shocking statistics reveal the extent of the crisis we are seeing across the country as a result of legal aid cuts.

"And behind this data lies the real human cost of denying some of the most vulnerable people in our society access to a justice system that belongs to them just as much as it does to those who are rich enough to afford a lawyer without state help.

"At a fundamental level, the erosion of legal aid erodes trust in the rule of law itself, and causes irreparable harm to people’s lives.”

At the Conservative Party Conference in September the Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced that "austerity is over" ­— however legal aid continues to feel the pinch.

Since the financial crash the MoJ has had its budget slashed by more than 40 per cent, falling from almost £11 billion to just £6.3 billion.

A further £300 million of cuts by 2018/19 were confirmed in October's budget.

A spokesman for the MoJ said: “Every person should have access to legal advice when they need it – that’s why the Legal Aid Agency keeps availability under constant review and takes urgent action whenever it has concerns.

“There are enough solicitors and barristers for criminal legal aid-funded cases across England and Wales and people can access legal aid advice via telephone for family, housing, and other issues for which legal aid is available as well as face to face.”

Legal Aid was established in 1949 to guarantee legal advice and representation to those who cannot afford it.

In 2012 the provision underwent a massive overhaul in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) ­— slashing funding and removing it from areas of civil law.

Since LASPO Legal Aid firms have received around £450 million less in payments and about one million fewer claims have been granted each year.

Such cutbacks prompted the Law Society to declare in September that justice was now "only for the wealthy".

The Government is currently reviewing LASPO with its finding expected to be published by the end of the year.