PLANS to downgrade North-East civil courts will block local access to justice, a union will warn MPs today.

In a Westminster briefing, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents court service staff, will warn North-East MPs of Government proposals to close courts to the public by downgrading them to part-time Local Hearing Venues.

If implemented, the union says the move would deny people face-to-face advice and could lead to the courts' complete closure in the future.

The proposals would cut the number of courts in the region offering a comprehensive service to the public - in what would be called Primary Hearing Centres - from 31 to 13.

According to the union, this would mean that many people could only access courts via the telephone, Internet or by travelling miles.

Local Hearing Venues would hold hearings in the same areas as previously, but on a limited basis, which the PCS believes would prove too costly and complicated.

Eddie Childs, PCS secretary for the North-Eastern circuit, said: "PCS members are committed to building a modern and effective court service.

"However, we believe that the proposed strategy will fail to deliver this, while jeopardising local access to justice.

"Downgrading civil courts into part-time Local Hearing Venues is the first step to closing them outright.

"Telephone and Internet technologies are best employed to widen access to a service, rather than offer a cheaper alternative.

"PCS believes all North-East civil courts should continue to provide a full-time, walk-in advice service."

Among the civil courts selected to be downgraded are those in Bishop Auckland, Consett, Darlington, Gates-head and Hartlepool