DEFENDANTS would not be able to make it to court on time or be unable to get home if Selby courthouse closes, according to the town’s magistrates.

Ron Humphrys, chairman of the Selby bench, said he and his colleagues had studied various bus and train timetables and discovered that defendants, witnesses and victims may be unable to get to York Magistrates’ Court if the Selby court shuts, as is proposed under Government plans.

Mr Humphrys said they had looked at two outlying villages – Barlow and Kirk Smeaton, the latter of which is at the very edge of Selby Magistrates’ Court’s boundary.

For defendants trying to get to York Magistrates’ Court from Barlow in time for the 10am start time they would have to set off at 7.15am and would make it. But more importantly, they would have to leave the court by 3pm to make it home again on public transport and the court sits until 5pm.

People in Kirk Smeaton and Womersley would not be able to make it to York for the 10am start, as they would have to travel to Pontefract before getting a connection. It would actually be quicker for them to travel to Leeds rather than York.

Mr Humphrys also questioned whether more cases would fold because of a failure of witnesses to get to court on time.

He said: “When the Selby court was refurbished two years ago we were sitting in York but York couldn’t cope with it and some cases had to go to Leeds and Pontefract. With trials there were many times when witnesses didn’t turn up and the cases collapsed I’m worried that will happen again and there will be victims of crime who have not received satisfaction that the culprit has been sentenced by law.”

Magistrates in Selby are due to submit their response to the proposed closure next week.

An HMCS Spokesperson said: “No decisions have been made – we are consulting on a proposal to closure Selby Magistrates’ Court.

“The Government is committed to supporting local justice, enabling justice to be done and be seen to be done in our communities.

“Accessibility for court users is, of course, an important factor. Local communities, including those living in rural areas, should not ordinarily have to make excessively long or difficult journeys to attend court, but we should recognise the infrequency with which most people need to visit a court, compared to other public services and amenities which they use and travel to more regularly.