THERE are no plans to close Okehampton Magistrates' Court despite it going fortnightly in the New Year, it has been confirmed.

West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett has described the move to reduce the currently weekly service as 'preposterous' but magistrates' officials have said there is insufficient work to justify opening it more often.

From January next year Okehampton court will be administered from Exeter instead of Barnstaple in a restructuring exercise which will see six new benches in Devon and Cornwall created from a previous 22.

Okehampton was saved from the axe because of its central position in Devon after cost-cutting proposals to close many courts throughout the two counties were announced earlier this year.

Justices' chief executive for Devon and Cornwall magistrates' courts Robert Hutley said although the building in Okehampton was limited in terms of facilities it was the intention to continue listing local trials there.

'We have made decisions we believe are a sensible use of resources,' he said. 'There are no plans to close Okehampton court — it is remaining open because we recognise the accessibility argument but how often it is open is entirely related to the workload it has to contend with.

'We only have a certain number of prosecutors to field around the area and it is about striking a balance.

'There is no point opening Okehampton court for five or ten minutes work.'

The new Central Devon bench, which Okehampton will come under, is being managed by Andrew Mimmack who agreed the workload at Okehampton had been 'pretty low.'

'As a manager I decided that a fortnightly court that lasts a reasonable time rather than a weekly one that finishes at 11.30am is better,' he said.

'Everyone recognises the problem we have in that part of Devon because of the big distances involved in getting to court but there are some things we cannot do at Okehampton such as take prisoners.'

He said some criminal cases would be heard at Exeter and some at Okehampton.

But MP John Burnett feels reducing the court days at Okehampton is another 'shortsighted attempt' to cut costs.

'There will be considerably more work for Okehampton if the other court closures, which are currently the subject of an appeal, go ahead,' he said. 'I oppose any cut back in this service because I feel it is a move towards closing the court at Okehampton.

'It may save a little money but there will be an explosion of costs to the likes of social services and the police who will have to travel far greater distances to get to other courts and use up much more of their valuable time.'