A LAW firm has revealed it will work-to-rule in protest of further legal aid cuts.

Staff at Llys Cennen Solicitors, which has offices in Ammanford and Llandeilo, say they will not take action “above and beyond as we usually do” and have asked clients “to bear with them" as they join country-wide protests against the changes.

The decision comes as criminal solicitors across the UK began a legal aid strike on July 1 by imposing bans on legal aid work. The “strike” is an attempt to pressurise the government to back down on plans to slash legal aid lawyer fees by 8.75 per cent and to offer work on competitive tenders.

In a statement released on Facebook last week, Llys Cennen said that until further notice, they will apply themselves strictly in accordance with contractual obligations to the Legal Aid Agency and the Ministry of Justice.

Partner and head of criminal law at the firm Hywel Owain Davies told the Guardian that the changes were “debilitating” and “decimating”.

He said the cuts could leave Amman and Towy Valley residents with no local representation and facing massive travel times.

“Cuts are one thing, we’ve seen 17.5 per cent of cuts in 15 months and they are debilitating,” said Mr Davies.

“But we are also looking at solicitors forced to compete for what could be four contracts in the whole area and that could be decimating for smaller firms.”

Mr Davies said Llys Cennen, which has served the area since 1927, offers solicitors who know the area, speak Welsh and strive to offer the best service.

He warned that with four contracts for the whole of the Dyfed Powys area, court users from the Amman and Towy valleys could be forced to travel to Aberystwyth and Ceredigion to access legal representation.

“If we do win contracts, the cuts could see us squeezed as we struggle to provide the best on a budget,” he said. “We may no longer sustain our guarantee of quality.

“We’ve already lost Ammanford, Llandeilo and Llandovery magistrates’ court and we could see a situation where residents lose local representation too.

“We’ve battled in the belief that we can offer a full range of services but there may come a point when we won’t be able to.”

Mr Davies said the firm felt strongly about the threatened changes and that the protest was a “matter of principle”.

Referencing the Rebecca Riots, the Llys Cennen statement concluded: “This is not a strike, it is not even civil disobedience, it’s certainly not a riot Rebecca or her daughters would recognise but it is our stand, a symbolic gesture.”