THE closure of Waltham Forest’s only court could leave victims and witnesses isolated at a time of rising violent crime, according to magistrates.

The decision to earmark the magistrates' court in Forest Road for closure is described as “bizarre” in a document submitted by the Waltham Forest Bench to Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS), which is carrying out a consultation on the proposals.

The plan would see Waltham Forest casework transferred to an expanded Stratford Magistrates’ Court in an attempt to improve efficiency and save estimated annual running costs of £386,000.

But bench members have fiercely defended the court’s performance and say the information provided as part of the financial case for closure is “inaccurate and incomplete”.

They argue that figures do not take into consideration the court’s income from the Probation Service, which contributes £120,000 a year.

The hard-hitting statement, signed by bench chairman Brian Hilton and his deputies Sandra Dacosta and David Evans, highlights the sharp rise in crime in the borough and says victims of rape, gun crime and robbery could be deterred from coming forward if there were no longer a judicial presence in the borough.

They also state their belief that the decision to close has already been made before the conclusion of the “flawed” consultation.

The document, submitted two days before the end of the consultation tomorrow, states: “We have been dismayed by the inadequate and time-constrained consultation process, inacurate and incomplete information presented therein and conflicting account of the implications of the proposals from senior Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) managers.

“It is inescapable that the primary driver of the proposal to close Waltham Forest Court is administrative convenience for HMCS.

“That the decision has been anticipated before the result of the consultation by HMCS and sister agencies is incontestable.

“The closure of the court’s enquiries desk, transfer of all admin staff, the out of the blue decision to consider free space for filing, the transfer from the building of Probation prosecutors and the refusal of the Crown Prosecution Service to provide prosecutors for depserately-needed Marlowe House trials all point to this conclusion.”

The Guardian is awaiting a response from the Ministry of Justice

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