A PLEDGE to fight for local justice was issued by councillors in Tavistock last week, adding their support in the battle to save the town's magistrates' court.

The court is one of 13 in Devon and Cornwall being considered for closure by the magistrates' courts committee — part of a cost-cutting exercise announced in January.

Cllr Pat Warne said: 'We have to speak out and try to protect our own town. We are fighting as it is to hang on to our rural communities, this is just one more cut and it's a cut too far.'

Cllr Norma Woodcock recommended the council should voice 'very strong opposition' to the proposed cuts.

She said: 'I think it's very important local justice should be delivered by local people.'

Mayor Roger Mathew told councillors the chances of preserving the magistrates' court in Tavistock were 'astonishingly small' — and he recommended concentrating on trying to save Okehampton's court which he felt had more chance of survival.

Cllr John Wright did not agree with what he described as a 'halfway measure' and said the council should fight for Tavistock's court.

'I propose we send a trenchant reply — not only to the magistrates' courts committee. We write to them in sympathy, but I think it's important our heavier artillery is directed at the Lord Chancellor's department,' he said.

Cllr Betty Batchelor said it was important Tavistock retained a court, though not necessarily the present one, which would need a considerable amount of money spent on it to bring it to modern-day standards.

And Cllr Judith Williams said the proposals came out of 'cloud cuckoo land'.

'People are going to have a very difficult time — we just have to keep reinforcing our view that the service has to be provided locally,' she said.

Town clerk Roger Howard will write to West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett, the Lord Chancellor, the chairman of West Devon magistrates' bench, Peter Hill, and the chairman of the magistrates' courts committee to express the council's opposition to the proposed cuts.