Jobs will be lost and services cut at a refuge for women unless it can get more money.

The Women's Refuge project, based in Brighton, caters for up to 2,500 families annually, working every day of the year.

It faces a financial crisis because funding is coming to an end from a pilot Home Office project to combat violence against women.

Without more money, the refuge will have to end weekend advice work, close the police station-based advocacy service and end practical security measures for families in their homes.

It will also have to stop extra drop-in services, reduce the hours of the helpline service and halve the staff available to answer calls.

The refuge will also have to reduce the number of direct advice and drop-in sessions.

Project director Jean Calder said the Home Office funding had enabled the refuge to work seven days a week and develop the police station-based service.

She said: "Both have been enormously successful and both are now seriously threatened by the end of the funding."

The refuge will ask for increased Government funding from the Single Regeneration Budget and wants to bid to the South-East England Development Agency.

Detective Chief Inspector Martin Cheeseman, who manages the police domestic violence work, said: "Anything which undermines this will do great damage to victims. If the scheme were to be lost it would be sorely missed."