THE Crown Prosecution Service in the North-East is failing to speed up the preparation of cases being heard in the region’s magistrates courts, according to a newly published report.

The CPS Inspectorate said the area had not reversed a decline in casework performance it first identified in an inspection in the winter of 2012.

It said it faced “considerable challenges” – having lost 20 per cent of its staff because of the need to make savings – if it was to achieve this.

Chief Inspector Kevin McGinty said: “Since the full inspection there has been a drop in performance in the magistrates’ courts, with fewer successful outcomes and contested cases being reviewed far too close to the trial date.

“A knock-on effect is the late discontinuance of cases and too many vacated trials. Despite the previous report recommending that this aspect of performance should, in conjunction with partners, be addressed, little appears to have been done.”

A follow-up inspection, in March this year, found the area was making good progress towards the “digitisation” of case work.

However staff felt frustrated by the slow operation of aspects of the system and prosecutors were awaiting the further benefits of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service implementing court-based wi-fi technology.

The Northern Echo contacted the CPS North-East area communications manager for a comment, but no response was received.