Faced with an ever-increasing number of people looking for help, Portsmouth Area Rape Crisis is seeing waiting lists for face-to-face counselling of up to six months.

There are now more than 50 people on waiting lists unable to get help until counselling time is available, and people from areas surrounding Portsmouth are being told the waiting list is full.

In the year to April 2008, there were 208 women and 45 men referred to PARCS and 130 received counselling or psychotherapy.

New chief executive Pat Brooks believes more people are turning to the service because awareness of it has grown.

She said: 'What we are doing, we are doing well. We could do so much more but we are always hampered by the funding.

'We are at our limit but we are still functioning.

'If people want to refer themselves they should. They should ring if they want somebody to talk to. The helpline is available and sometimes people find that's all they need.'

PARCS is a voluntary service and the £200,000 annual budget is funded with grants from Portsmouth, Hampshire, Havant, Gosport and Fareham councils, Hampshire police and Portsmouth's Lord Mayor's Charitable Disembursement Fund, plus donations from Unison, Fareham Masons and the Portsmouth Network of Women Police Officers, plus individuals.

Sessions are usually allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, although people with complex needs may need to wait longer to see a more senior counsellor.

Anyone suffering a recent sexual assault would be able to get immediate help from support staff at Treetops – Portsmouth's Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

It is hoped PARCS will be able to boost provision with greater funding in the next financial year but the full cost of meeting demand has yet to be determined.

Detective Constable Danielle Warren from Waterlooville CID said: 'PARCS is an invaluable service – it's certainly invaluable to the victims in this area.

'I had a young lady who unfortunately had to wait six months and perhaps she could have been seen earlier if there was more funding. She perhaps needed to be seen earlier than they were able.

'At the time I contacted Hampshire County Council and expressed concern about the length of wait. I had a positive response, saying they were reviewing the situation.