A 'BATTLE royal' is forecast after plans to axe magistrates' courts in Tavistock and Okehampton sparked off outrage in West Devon.

Devon and Cornwall magistrates' courts committee announced the cost-cutting proposals last Wednesday.

There will now be a ten-week consultation period to decide where the axe will fall among the 25 courts in Devon and Cornwall.

West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett said: 'There will be a battle royal to fight for local justice in local areas.

'Everything is wrong with this preposterous decision, it is short-sighted and ill-judged.'

Mr Burnett had an emergency meeting last Saturday with fellow Liberal Democrat MPs and councillors to work out a strategy to fight the closures.

On Tuesday in the House of Commons he intervened in a debate on rural magistrates' courts.

He told Jane Kennedy, Lord Chancellor's minister: 'Justice should be done and seen to be done locally.

'The courts are an important part of the rural infrastructure.

'Far from making financial savings, the closures will cause additional expenditure and wasted time by the police and witnesses in longer journeys on very poor roads which have virtually no public transport.'

Mr Burnett also spoke up for rural justice on the floor of the House during Tuesday afternoon.

'The Minister said she agreed that one of the main advantages of rural magistrates' courts is that justice is done locally — I pointed out what was happening and asked her to be sure to pass that on to the magistrates court committee,' he said.

If the cuts go ahead, central and West Devon would be left without a court house. Attendees would have to travel to Barnstaple or Plymouth.

Tavistock magistrate John Montgomery, last year's chairman of the West Devon's bench, was horrified by the news and vowed to fight the proposals.

'We haven't even had the letter from the office yet — the staff only heard about it from reading the paper — it's a dreadful way to behave,' he said.

'All these people see is a map, they see we're an inch from Plymouth and they just don't think about local justice at all.'

Mr Montgomery was sceptical the closures would save money.

He said people unable to get to distant courts could have a warrant served on them which would be costly in police terms — and magistrates' expenses would spiral.

He said closure of the Okehampton and Tavistock courts would leave a 'tremendous hole' in the county.

'The sensible thing would be to join the three of us — Okehampton, Tavistock and Launceston together— that would be far cheaper,' he said.

Angela Lord, an usher who works at both West Devon's courts, said savings would be outweighed by 'chaos'.

'Attending court can be difficult for people who live in outlying areas,' she said.

'A lot have no means of transport, live on the breadline and in some cases suffer disabilities.

'To expect these people to travel miles to attend court is unrealistic, unfair and in some cases impossible.'

Last week, sessions in Plymouth were so busy that Tavistock's court was used to hear overspill cases.

John Maunder, chairman of the magistrates' courts committee, said: 'We appreciate that many people will feel courthouse closures have a profound effect on their community.

'However, we need to deliver an excellent service for the whole of Devon and Cornwall which we believe will be best served by focusing our progressively reducing funding on a smaller number of premises offering better facilities, especially for the disabled.'

The committee will consider the views put forward until March 29 — it expects to finalise plans on April 13.