THE closure of Selby Magistrates’ Court could cause employment problems in the town and will cause more work for the local police, councillors have warned.

The announcement that the court will be closed next year was made in the House of Commons on Tuesday, despite a campaign to keep it open.

Coun Mark Crane, leader of Selby District Council, expressed “disappointment and surprise” at the announcement.

“I think, given the money that had been spent on the building to make it DDA [Disability Discrimination Act] compliant, and the work done last time to fight the closure, including some very good cases put forward by the Selby bench and others, it’s very disappointing to learn that the court is to close.”

Coun Steve Shaw-Wright, Labour leader for the council, said: “Obviously, it’s a shock to the town and the district, particularly since the last government spent £700,000 doing it up, which looks to be wasted now. I’m not sure what it will be sold for, but hopefully we can keep it for some public use.

“We’ve still got to protest and appeal because it is a service in Selby which helps the people, and provides employment for the town. I think it might mean that some of the local solicitors might up sticks and move, so it could have a knock-on effect for the town’s solicitors and admin jobs.”

Coun Doreen Davies was heavily involved in the campaign to save the court, and said the decision to close it would only create more problems for a police force already stretched thin.

“I spoke to some of the kids outside the court, aware that cuts were expected to the police force shortly. I asked them if they would go to York or Goole if the court in Selby closed, and they all said no because they had no money. It will just be another strain on the police chasing them up.”

Coun Crane said: “The problems for people getting to another court in York or elsewhere remain, and I think the decision flies in the face of the case that the bench made, and I feel it will be a decision that will be regretted in future.

“I don’t think we should just give up. I hope we will continue to push the case we have already made to save the court.”

Brian Wood, a magistrate in Selby, said: “The case supporting the court was unanswerable, but it is only a perfect case if people will listen to it. This proves to me that nobody was ever going to listen to it.

“What I can see happening, is that it will cause a lot more warrants for the police, costing a lot more money, but you’re not going to get justice served if witnesses can’t make the journey to York”