STAFF at Trowbridge Magistrates Court will face redundancy if they do not take posts at the new court house in Chippenham.

They have been told they are unlikely to lose their jobs but many are thought to favour taking redundancy settlements rather than moving to north Wiltshire."

One member of staff said: "We've got two people who are going to take the money because they are unable to get to Chippenham. It's all very sad."

"We made suggestions to the committee to drop court rooms in Swindon but we were told the Lord Chancellor wouldn't like that so they threw out the proposal."

Trowbridge court is due to close at the end of March next year while the court in Devizes will not close until a new building is built in Salisbury which could take up to two years.

Town mayor, Jeff Osborn said: "When I went to Chippenham Magistrates Court in September, there were some people there who had come all the way from Salisbury.

"They were not sent down and just turfed out on to the streets with no money to get home. That will be a very real problem for many people, which is why we will do our upmost to oppose the closure."

As well as fighting the decision to close the court rooms, the town council will also be trying to preserve the listed building that houses them at a county council meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Osborn said: "The county council has only just realised that the building belongs to it and I will be asking Peter Chalke, leader of Wiltshire County Council, exactly what its plans are for the old building.

"I would like to see it used as a registry office."

The decision to close the court rooms in Trowbridge was made after a league table stated that Wiltshire had the least efficient court rooms in the country.

A Lord Chancellor's report said that if the number of court rooms in the county were not reduced, Wiltshire would not get funding for the court house in Salisbury."

It is thought people who live south of Warminster may be able to have their cases heard in the new Salisbury court room, while magistrates will make allowances for defendants who arrive late, providing they have telephoned in advance and explained their situation.