Defendants on remand throughout Worcestershire might be forced to travel to Kidderminster if plans announced to close courts through the county go ahead.

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service, part of the Ministry of Justice, wants all remand courts in the county apart from one to shut- and for all cases involving prisoners on remand to be heard at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court.

At the moment cases involving people on remand are dealt with at Worcester, Redditch and Hereford as well as Kidderminster, and West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion is concerned that it will cause more delays and wok for the Police.

He said: “The decision to have only one remand court within an area that is the geographical size and complexity of West Mercia makes no sense. There has been a complete failure to recognise the impacts this will have on other services, particularly West Mercia Police. Any savings for the court service could be passed to the police to pick up as a result of having to move prisoners across a vast area. There is also a risk of re-offending from defendants having to make their own way home from the court.

“There are more efficient ways of making this work and reducing demand on others, such as creating multiple remand courts or introducing digital solutions like video-link. I would welcome the opportunity for further conversations with HMCTS in order to review how these other options can be introduced.”

A spokesperson for HMCTS said moving cases for defendants on remand means freeing up time and resources to deal with more cases at Magistrates’ Courts elsewhere. They said: “These changes will mean more trials can be listed at Cannock Magistrates’ Court, which will in turn reduce waiting times for victims and witnesses.

“We consulted widely on this issue, all responses were fully considered and final decisions were only taken with the full support of senior local judges.”