BUSINESS in the region has been dealt a blow after the closure of an agency which has helped create 10,000 jobs in the last 25 years.

The South Humber Business Advice Centre (SoHBAC) announced its closure at the end of October due to insufficient public funding for its work.

The enterprise agency's chairman John Clugston said: "SoHBAC has just handled its 20,000th case, from which over 3,300 business development projects have gone ahead, with more than 10,000 jobs implied.

"It is regrettable that progressive changes to and within the wider business support network, particularly over recent years, have led to a reduced role and we are now unable to attract sufficient public funding to continue work at this level."

SoHBAC was formed in 1983 and was based in Brigg from then until 1996. It then relocated to Scunthorpe and was there until 2006.

In 2006, it relocated to Gainsborough, due to the lack of public sector funding for its work in the North Lincolnshire area.

SoHBAC said the latest decision came following various changes in the overall management and delivery of publicly funded business support.

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