THE borough’s major law court is set to reopen next Monday after a £1.7million revamp that has seen it closed for eight months.

The project to transform the interior of St Helens Magistrates’ Court, Corporation Street, is due to be completed by next week.

Under the scheme, St Helens County Court is relocating from Rexmore House, where it has been for almost 50 years, to the venue.

It will reopen under a new name, the St Helens Courthouse, housing both criminal cases and civil cases.

During the refurbishment the courts have been sitting at Huyton, Knowsley, causing disruption to defendants and solicitors.

Star readers have commented that the landscape surrounding the court has become badly overgrown during the closure.

A HMCTS spokesperson said: “The co-locating of these courts will provide better access and facilities for all court users, all in one building.

“The project saw the creation of two new District Judges’ Hearing rooms together with a shared office area where both County Court and Magistrates’ Courts can work alongside each other.

This will give scope for a more efficient operation.

“The County Courts are closed to the public on the 28th and 29th June for the move to take place, although it will still be possible to telephone the court with anything urgent. The Magistrates’ Court will resume sittings alongside County Court hearings in St Helens from 2 July 2012.”