Cost of living advice bus begins its tour of London

City Hall Sadiq Khan and Debt Free Advice staff in front of busCity Hall
The bus will visit 35 locations around the capital giving free advice

London's first ever cost of living advice bus has set off on a three-month long tour of the capital.

The bus is run by the charity Debt Free Advice and was set up to provide debt advice and support to Londoners.

It will visit 35 locations, parking near supermarkets and library car parks and offering consultations.

This follows a recent City Hall poll showing nearly a third of Londoners are going into debt to manage increased living costs.

The Debt Free Advice Bus was set up with £145,000 funding from City Hall, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At the launch of the tour from Trafalgar Square on Friday, London mayor Sadiq Khan stressed the financial difficulties faced by Londoners.

He said: "The cost of living crisis is hitting Londoners hard and, as Christmas approaches bringing more financial strain, many Londoners will be worrying how they will make ends meet over the coming months.

"No-one should have to face these difficulties on their own."

City Hall Sadiq Khan and Debt Free Advice inside busCity Hall
The tour started in Trafalgar Square, with the mayor in attendance

The bus will stop in Rathbone Market, Canning Town on Friday before moving on to the Venture Centre in Notting Hill on 28 November.

It will then travel to East Ham, Brent and Hammersmith at the end of November and the start of December.

More locations and dates will be announced by Debt Free Advice in due course.