Criticism as magistrates court trials are moved 25 miles away from Shropshire

Under measures by the Ministry of Justice, some defendants and witnesses will have to travel to Kidderminster for the trials, rather than Telford.

It is the latest move of criminal justice away from Shropshire, following a decision to move remand hearings to Kidderminster in 2018.

That decision proved so controversial that earlier this year the Police and Crime Commissioner brought in video-link hearings to save defendants and legal teams a 50-mile round trip.

The latest decision will pose the same problem for those involved in trials.

Stephen Scully, a representative of the Shropshire Defence Advocates Group, said the measures would mean one of his clients having to leave Oswestry by public transport before 7am, on a train that would them through areas of the Black Country subject to local lockdown rules.

He said that a number of other solicitors had been told their cases would also be tried at Kidderminster.