A CHORLEY man is waiting for the Child Support Agency to confirm whether it has cancelled arrears of more than £6,000 it claims he owes.

Dennis Rostron says he was told in a telephone conversation with the CSA last week it is scrapping the crippling arrears and that he now owes less than £250.

But this week he received a letter form the agency informing him that the money had been 'suspended', leaving him wondering whether he would still have to pay it at some point.

Dennis Rostron, 38, of Lakeland Gardens, has been on anti-depressants for three years and even contemplated suicide after receiving a letter from the CSA in September saying it had recalculated his payments.

In April last year he was told he would have to pay £145 a month towards the upkeep of his three sons, but in September his payments shot up to £492.70 a month including £23.40 to cover the arrears.

Last month he received a letter of apology and a compensation payment of £125 after the CSA admitted it had not carried out regular checks as it should have done.

But the service engineer says he is now confused and still worried after being told the £6,139.33 arrears have been suspended and his new monthly payments will be £469.30.

Mr Rostron, who is off work due to the stress he has suffered, said he has been left in limbo, but pledged to continue his work with a group set up to help others in the same situation.

The CSA declined to comment.