BOURNEMOUTH Magistrates Court will close by the end of the year as part of a major cost-cutting drive by the government.

The 100-year-old building in Stafford Road is one of 86 courts across the UK that will shut in the next two years.

Plans to shut the court and move cases to Poole were revealed by the Echo last year, when it emerged that a total of 91 courts were under threat.

Today the government announced that 86 of the proposed closures will go ahead.

Dorchester Magistrates' Court has also been identified for closure which means by the end of 2016 there will be just two magistrates courts - Poole and Weymouth - covering the whole county.

According to a timetable by the HM Courts and Tribunal Service Dorchester will close between July and September of this year and Bournemouth will close by the end of 2016.

HM Courts and Tribunal Service said: ‘The majority of the people living in the areas affected by the court closures will be within an acceptable travelling distance of the court where the work is transferred to.

‘This means that most individuals will still have reasonable journeys to court to attend hearings, including by public transport.’ A consultation launched last summer said the Grade II listed building in Stafford Road is in very poor condition and would require significant investment compared to the more modern Poole court at the Civic Centre.

It added: "The current estimate for backlog maintenance is approximately £517,000.

"Whilst HM Courts & Tribunals Service acknowledges and accepts that some people will need to travel further to reach Poole Magistrates’ Court and for some the journey may be more difficult than the journey to Bournemouth, the excellent regular transport links between Bournemouth and Poole should ensure reasonable journey times are possible for a significant proportion of court users."

Bournemouth magistrates court is currently only used at 52 per cent capacity and running costs for 2014/15 were £382,000.

There are currently 35 staff based in Stafford Road and three at Dorchester.

Responding to the government's announcement Law Society president Jonathan Smithers said: "We are disappointed that the government is pressing ahead with the closure of so many courts.

"The majority of these closures will make it more difficult for a significant number of people to get to court, disproportionately affecting people living in rural areas, those with disabilities and lower income families.

"Combined with increases in court fees and reductions in eligibility for legal aid, many of the closures will serve to deepen the inequalities in the justice system between those who can and cannot afford to pay."