PEOPLE have been urged to “rise up in protest” after the bombshell announcement that the tax office in Porthmadog is to close with the loss of 20 jobs.

The decision by HM Revenue & Customs to close Ty Moelwyn within the next five years has been described as a ‘huge blow’ to Porthmadog and the Welsh language.

Cllr Jason Humphreys said: “Trawsfynydd, Gelert and now Ty Moelwyn. This is just the latest in a litany of neglect, failure and sheer vandalism by government of all levels and the parties that control them.

"Everything is being taken away from us and nothing is being put in their place. The tax office used to employ 60 people; this dwindled down to 20 and soon nothing. How’s our high street going to be sustained during lean winters?

“As the ruins of the coliseum and old mill serve to show, even our tourist potential is being neglected.

"Unless something changes, then in a couple of generations, our language and culture will retreat to a handful of farms because of a lack of decently paid, secure jobs and affordable homes.

“We need to rise in protest.”

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