Sexually abused children in Surrey may be exposed to further harm because of the NSPCC, the Crown Prosecution Service has warned.

The child protection charity announced earlier this year it was to close its centre in Leatherhead, which helps about 280 Surrey children cope with the aftermath of sexual abuse and acts as a witness protection service for children who have to give evidence at court.

It has now been revealed the charity made the decision to close the centre, the only one of its kind in the county, without consulting the victim and witness group of Surrey’s Criminal Justice Board, which is made up of representatives from Surrey Police, the probation service, the Crown Prosecution Service, Surrey’s youth justice service, Her Majesty’s Courts Service and the Legal Services Commission.

The board’s chairman Ben Byrne said the lack of consultation had forced its member to “scramble around” to try to minimise the harm to youngsters when the centre shuts next April.

He said: “Clearly because there wasn’t a consultation on this, partners have been scrambling around to fill the gaps.

“Ultimately this is about the welfare of children, and we are doing everything we can to mitigate any impact.

“My concern is we are not able to provide as good a service as we’ve been able to up until now.

“I think we will be able to successfully fill the gaps around witness support through the witness service, but I think the more difficult gap to fill will be around the therapeutic needs of children who have been abused.

“We will do everything we can to ensure that provision is there, but it’s very difficult in the current climate to produce new services.”

Julie Cole, the NSPCC’s regional head of services, said it planned to move the services to Croydon so the charity could “have the most impact on the greatest number of children”.

She said: “Following detailed research into the most suitable locations we chose to relocate the service from Surrey to Croydon and have since held a number of discussions with the local authority and other partners in the area.”

However, in a letter seen by the Elmbridge Guardian, Andrew Flanagan, chief executive of the NSPCC, admitted many of Surrey’s children would not have access to the centre in Croydon.

Nikki Bird, a Thames Ditton-based home school link worker, who set up a campaign group to save the centre, said these children would be left with no facilities.

She added: “There is nothing in Surrey to take the centre’s place –– nowhere else has the experience.”

In the letter, Mr Flanagan also said the reason for the closure was because of a lack of resources, but Dominic Raab, MP for Esher and Walton, said he believed the closure was out of “choice rather than necessity”.

Mr Raab said: “This cut in service is based on a new strategy, not financial pressures, one that means vulnerable children will lose out.

“It is disappointing that NSPCC headquarters has decided to axe the Surrey branch without having first clearly explained their purported justification, or consulted with all of the appropriate stakeholders.”