People from Lancaster and Morecambe face 70 mile round trip to attend court

The increased number is as a result of the winding down of Lancaster Magistrates’ Court which in future will only hear crime cases one day a week.

As a result defendants face a seventy mile round trip by road or a £20 rail fare .

Solicitor David Leach told the Blackpool Court: “This is a large chunk of money for people who are often on benefits and matters will only get worse with the planned closure of Lancaster.”

“People told to attend Blackpool will need time to save up.”

A HM Courts and Tribunals Service spokesperson said: “This is a temporary measure to relieve local staffing pressures.

“We plan to move cases that cannot be heard at Lancaster to Preston where possible and we will return to normal operating levels as soon as possible.”

The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Lancaster Magistrates’ Court will temporarily sit one day a week for private prosecutions while staffing shortages are resolved and that the courthouse will not lie empty on the other four days.

Lancaster Magistrates' Court is a combined court with other courtrooms in regular use for family and civil hearings which will continue to operate as normal.

The reduction in listings has been kept to an absolute minimum and should only be in place temporarily, from January until April 2023, or earlier if recruitment and training activity can be concluded sooner.

Facilities across Lancashire are already in place to enable judges, at their discretion, to grant a remote hearing for suitable cases.