SENIOR politicians in the town have said it is vital the potential closure of St Helens Magistrates' and County Court does not lead to people being "denied justice".

The government revealed it is consulting on plans to close 91 courts and tribunals in England and Wales, including the St Helens courthouse.

The aim is to reduce what Justice Secretary Michael Gove has identified as "surplus capacity".

The news comes just several years after the court underwent extensive refurbishment to ensure it could take cases from Knowsley, where the court in Huyton closed.

St Helens South and Whiston MP Marie Rimmer said she welcomed plans to make the justice system cost-effective but expressed worries over the effect the closure could have on the town centre.

She said: “The justice system needs to be made more efficient in order to reduce costs. The Labour Party has long argued that we should look at using civic and public buildings such as town halls for hearings and I welcome the fact that the government is considering this proposal.

“However, the government must make sure any changes do not lead to people being denied justice. Many victims, witnesses and defendants already rely on public transport to get them to court on time and it is not always up to the job. This would be made even more difficult with further court closures.

“I am also concerned the potential closure of the courts could have a knock on impact on our town centre and local economy as legal firms in the town may reconsider their location.

“I would urge local residents to engage with this consultation and make their voices heard on this important matter."

Meanwhile, St Helens North MP Conor McGinn added: “It is right that the costs of our courts need to be reduced, but the government must make sure that this doesn’t lead to people being denied justice by closing courts like those in St Helens and Ormskirk, which will undoubtedly affect my constituents.

"To suggest that an hour by car should be the benchmark is out of touch – many victims, witnesses and defendants in rural areas of St Helens North rely on public transport which is just not reliable enough to get them to court on time.

"I am keen to hear the views of local people on these proposals and will be responding to the consultation accordingly."

St Helens Council leader Barrie Grunewald described the news as "extremely disappointing" and said it "further demonstrates the negative impact reductions in government spend will have on local areas such as St Helens".

He added: "We will be contacting Government immediately to fully understand what is being proposed and what consideration has been given in terms of the negative impact and implications.

"As a council, we will be committed to try and ensure any negative effect does not occur. In addition, we will be asking them about how they will look to reduce any impact on staff concerned and we will obviously want to ensure that their interests are considered."