However, once calmed down, it turned out that with so much rain in recent weeks, both had lost their way and on seeing the sign for Citizens Advice, reasoned that ducks in trouble would not be turned away and simply popped in for a map.

Happy to help, we drew a quick route back to the river and for good measure, gave them a copy of our "Duck Rights" (2nd edition) leaflet. Reassured, they waddled back in the direction of the park to share the information with their friends....

New proposals to make the Citizens Advice service a champion for consumer information across a range of sectors and a new National Trading Standards Board were announced yesterday by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland will take on responsibilities and resources from the Office for Fair Trading (OFT) and Consumer Focus. The process has already started, and a new advice line succeeding Consumer Direct was launched by the Citizens Advice service on 2 April.

The Citizens Advice service will also take on responsibility from Consumer Focus for representing consumers’ interests in unregulated sectors. This will leave a new, technical Regulated Industries Unit working with the energy and postal services sectors and their regulators, replacing Consumer Focus.

As part of the reforms, a new National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) will bring together representatives of Trading Standards from England and Wales to prioritise, fund and coordinate national and regional enforcement cases.

The NTSB will be responsible for gathering important intelligence from around the country to combat rogue traders, and tackle priorities such as internet scams, illegal money lending and other enforcement issues that go beyond local authority boundaries.

Consumer Affairs Minister, Norman Lamb said:

"For too long people have been faced with an array of different bodies for advice and support, but its not always clear who to turn to first. The Citizens Advice service will become the publicly-funded voice of consumers, championing their needs and empowering them to make the right choices for themselves.

"There will also be clearer responsibilities and better coordination between enforcers and consumer bodies. A new National Trading Standards Board is exactly what we need to combat priority areas such as loan sharks and internet scams.

"All of the reforms will ensure that we have the right system of help, advice and protection for consumers.”

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice said:

“This is good news for consumers. With consumer advice, advocacy and education all under one Citizens Advice service roof, consumers will get a service they know and trust. One that helps them resolve their problem, learn how to avoid similar issues, and get involved in making sure the same thing doesn’t happen to other people.

“Citizens Advice has a strong history of advising consumers and championing their problems at a national and local level. We’re pleased that this decision will now allow us to do more to help consumers in this way. We will work closely with Consumer Focus and the Government to ensure a smooth transition for the benefit of consumers.”

With companies keen to retain customers, telesales people often have discretionary powers to renegotiate existing tariffs. The programme demonstrated that typical savings of £500 a year could be made by just asking for better deals on services from existing suppliers.

Dave Grove, financial cabability expert at Bedworth Citizens Advice said

"It is always worth haggling, particularly with services such as home entertainment packages where one supplier is in competition with another.

"Essentially you just have to ask - and the determination to negotiate a better deal."

The full report can be found here: http://www.cabnuneaton.org.uk/reports/advice-needs.pdf

Justice for All also warned that reductions in funding from local authorities and other sources would see one in five community advice organisations close.

As the Cabinet Office leads a review of not-forprofit advice, Justice for All sets out what those on the front line advice believe the Government must do to support advice charities in future:

1. Advice is more needed than ever, both by individuals and by Government, but front line services are being hit hard.

2. Sustainable funding is desperately needed, and central Government’s contribution is vital. There’s an opportunity for a better approach, if the money can be found.

3. Face-to-face advice on the most complex problems is under most serious threat, yet charities know this is often what makes the biggest difference and saves long-term costs.

4. Phone or email advice provides different help for different people. Those who need face-toface advice will not access phone advice but simply go with out help.

5. Those people in the most need of help, and making long-lasting improvements in their lives, should be the priority. Volume targets often work against this.

6. More can be achieved with long-term, locally flexible funding delivered through existing networks of advice charities. 7. Reducing funding red-tape would allow agencies to spend more time actually giving advice.

8. Public bodies can make more use of advice agencies experience and knowledge of where systems are going wrong – but this needs funding to unlock intelligence.

The route (starting at 8.21 am) goes from Lawford Road, Corporation Street, along North Street, Church Street, Whitehall Road, and on past Rugby School.

A total of 8,000 torchbearers will take the torch on its 70-day journey which begins in Land's End on 19 May.