The NSPCC may be forced to cover the cost of moving its telephone helpline operation to Manchester after doubts that £5m of a pledge to fund the scheme will materialise.

The children's charity has already admitted that its new "listening centre" was dependent on a £6m pledge from Mark and Deborah Langford, founders of Manchester-based financial services company Amulet Group (news, page 10, 12 December 2002).

The move will involve transferring 25 specialist child protection social worker posts from London.

But Amulet, whose subsidiary is personal injury compensation specialist The Accident Group, has been placed in administration.

The NSPCC said it had so far been given just £1m of the pledge, although it did hope to receive the balance.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: "The plans for the listening centre will go ahead. The development costs have been underwritten by us.

"If necessary, the cost will have to come out of the existing money that we have."