Selby’S MP has hit out after the announcement that the town’s magistrates’ court is to close next year.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, was at the House of Commons to hear the announcement.

He said: “The first closures are expected to be after April next year, and I’m afraid Selby Magistrates’ Court will be among them.

“I’m extremely disappointed with the decision. I’m aware that Her Majesty’s Court Service have been chipping away at Selby for a number of years now by taking away some types of work which would have made the court busier than it is.”

The news comes despite a campaign to keep the court open which was supported by magistrates, district, county and town councillors, and included a 2,000-name petition delivered to Downing Street last August.

Mr Adams said the decision would also be a blow to taxpayers across the district, as the closure would come only two years after a £700,000 facelift for the building.

Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly confirmed the closure would include 93 magistrates’ courts and 49 county courts. He said: “We are closing the worst courts in the estate so we can concentrate our limited resources on the best ones.”

Mr Adams said: “I asked the minister if he could tell the House how much consideration was given to the fact that nearly £1 million was given to make the court Disability Discrimination Act compliant. The taxpayer will be facing a huge loss. When the building is sold off, we are going to be looking at a major short term loss to the tax payer. It’s just not a good business decision.

“I will be making further representations to the minister to ask him to reconsider but they have made it clear that this is purely a decision based on inheriting a catastrophic financial situation from the previous Government.”