Preseli Pembrokeshire Assembly Member Paul Davies says the Government needs to be more open and accountable when it comes to scaling down Haverfordwest's tax office.

Mr Davies was given a tour of the office in Cherry Grove only after a six-week wait and it was made clear to him that he was forbidden from taking any photographs inside the premises.

"I feel that the Government was deliberately obstructive and difficult when it came to letting us inside the building and talking to staff members," he said. "It really smacks of control freakery."

The Government has announced that the local tax offices in Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest are to be "streamlined" in order to make cost savings.

It is expected that only a handful of the 72 staff at both offices will be left in position.

A public consultation into the streamlining closed on August 6 and Mr Davies made a full submission to the review process.

"Understandably the staff are very worried about their jobs and it must be awful for them to have this uncertainty hanging over them," added Mr Davies.

"In my submission I pointed out that the offices are a vital contact point for people across Pembrokeshire and provide essential tax advice on a face-to-face basis to individuals and businesses throughout the county. These offices provide an essential public service."

Mr Davies went on to point out that Pembrokeshire would be losing out on valuable public sector jobs and added that proposals to ask remaining staff to commute to Carmarthen to work were unviable for many.

"Pembrokeshire's tax offices make a vital contribution to the local economy and are valued not only by the staff employed there, but by the individuals and businesses that use their services," he said.

"Any reduction of the services available locally would have a detrimental effect across the County."