DURHAM'S threatened magistrates court has escaped closure after court bosses decided Chester-le-Street will be axed.

The magistrates court at Durham has been staring closure in the face for nearly a year, as the County Durham's Magistrates Courts Committee has agonised over which of the two must go.

Now the committee has decided that pending a consultation exercise, Chester-le-Street will be closed, which will result in cases being dispersed among the three remaining courts in the north of the county in Peterlee, Consett and Durham City.

A two-month consultation exercise with bodies affected by the move, such as the Crown Prosecution Service and Victim Support, will be carried out, through which the committee will be willing to consider any workable suggestions that could avert the closure.

Proposals to close either Consett or Bishop Auckland magistrates courts were met with strong protests when touted last year.

The idea was eventually dropped because the branches served rural areas with little public transport, leaving either Chester-le-Street or Durham courts facing the axe. The sites are only six miles apart and were seen to be better served by bus and rail routes.

The committee's chief executive Bob Whitehouse said one court had to go, because collectively they are being used less than 50 per cent of the time.

He said: "It's not a good use of public money. And we can't just waste public money on something that's not up to modern standards. Most of the buildings were built in the 1960s and 1970s for smaller courts, when we didn't have the need for the facilities we have now."

Some of the money saved by the closure will be spent on upgrading the other courts.

Deputy chief executive of the committee Royston Dent said people in Durham City could still take part in the consultation, which will be run until July 31.

Consultation packs will be left in libraries and the committee has said it wants as many people as possible to take part.

He said: "The committee will take all views into account when they make their final decision to close or not close Chester-le-Street, but there are no proposals to close Durham Magistrates Court."

To take part in the consultation, contact Mr Dent on (0191) 3844455.