A FREE health service will close after its council funding was slashed by £400,000.

Be Well Barnsley offers help with losing weight, becoming more active, reducing stress and improving mood, and drinking more sensibly.

It had been expecting the cut, but the confirmation means Person Shaped Support, which runs groups such as Fit Reds, can no longer afford to continue.

Lesley Dixon, chief executive at PSS, said: “The cuts we’ve faced to our Be Well Barnsley service are such a huge blow to us.

“We’re hoping the council can find a way to continue the legacy of the brilliant work our Barnsley team has done.”

Council boss Wendy Lowder said: “PSS, which runs its services under the name of Be Well Barnsley, has decided to terminate its contract from the end of October 2018.

“This was not the council’s decision and we would have continued to work with PSS to address the funding challenges.”