EVESHAM Town Council is set to back local solicitors' calls for action to stop the closure of the town's county court.

The alarm was raised last week when a local firm of solicitors claimed the newly formed Ministry of Justice is planning to close the county court, which is over the post office on the High Street.

If the closure goes ahead, it will remove an indispensable asset to citizens of Evesham in their pursuit of justice, they claimed.

John Brookes, a senior partner in the law firm Cox & Hodgetts, of High Street, called on councillors and MP Peter Luff to make representations to Lord Falconer in an attempt to oppose the move.

In a letter to the MP, Mr Brookes said: "Loss of the magistrates court, combined with closure of the police station, has done nothing to help the cause of justice in the area and loss of the county court will further cause a lot of inconvenience and additional expense to a great many people."

Councillors meeting on Thursday agreed with Mr Brookes' assessment of the situation and unanimously agreed to support resistance to the court's closure.

Councillor Ron Cartwright said: "I support the people on this matter who would have to travel very far if this facility was lost."

Ex-mayor Coun Sandalls seconded the motion and said: "The town should do everything in its power to keep it."