JUSTICE in Kidderminster moves into the 21st century next week with the official opening of Britain's first privately funded magistrates courts. The impressive new magistrates court in.

The ceremony, which will be carried out at the new premises off Comberton Hill on Monday, marks the end of a 15-year battle to improve facilities formerly sited at a converted carpet maker's showroom building in Worcester Street.

Plans to use private finance to build the "supercourt" attracted criticism earlier this year from public sector union Unison. Wyre Forest MP Dr Richard Taylor expressed his "amazement" at the project, adding if it was anything like NHS schemes, it could not be value for money.

The two-storey building, which also houses the family and licensing courts, provides vastly improved facilities including separate waiting rooms for defendants and victims of crime, purpose-built accommodation for legal staff and Victim Support workers and better access for disabled people.

In addition, magistrates chairman Susan Thompson said the courts provided improved facilities in waiting areas including hot drinks and snacks vending machines and drinking water. Chairman of the bench Susan Thompson.

Previously, she said, the old courts had been served by Women's Royal Voluntary Service volunteers who used to come in on one day a week only to serve hot drinks and snacks.

She added: "We've had this need for a new home for some time. Some years ago we were going to have a new court built by the police station but there was a change of policy.

"It has taken many years of consultation to reach this stage," she said, adding the need to upgrade facilities had first been identified in the 1980s.

"We're working in superb facilities with a lot more accommodation for court users. We have three courts with the potential for a fourth. It's built but not yet kitted out.

"Solicitors and the Probation Service have all got their own rooms." She added defendants had also benefited from "greatly improved" cells, while security has also been enhanced.

Mrs Thompson, who has been chairman of the Severnminster bench in Kidderminster for four years, added the major innovation, however, had been the use of the Private Funding Initiative under which a private consortium builds, owns and runs a building for a specified period, leasing it back at a profit.

Part of the cost of the building was met by Worcestershire and Herefordshire county councils and the Lord Chancellor's department.