THE magistrates' court in Northallerton re-opened yesterday, two years after it was closed for a £1.8m refurbishment.

Staff hailed its first full day of operation a success, with 67 cases going through the court.

The building, which is in Racecourse Lane, opposite the headquarters of North Yorkshire County Council, has had an extensive facelift.

A waiting area has been constructed and cells have been built in the basement of the courthouse, which dates back to the 1930s.

A video link has also been installed so people can give evidence without having to be in the courtroom.

Court One has undergone a complete refurbishment, while a courtroom - Court Two - has been created from what was originally office space.

Both Court One and Court Two were in use all day yesterday, with four prisoners also using the new cell facilities.

Office manager at the court Chris Bowman said: "All in all, the cases moved very smoothly through the system considering it was such a busy day.

"For our first day, everything went very well.

"We have got a lot more facilities, including a secure car parking area being built at the premises, which is a big alteration.

"We are also completely Disability Discrimination Act compliant. The whole building now has disabled facilities, which we never had before."

The building also boasts new rooms for court ushers and staff from the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service

But the re-opening of Northallerton's courthouse signals the end for the magistrates' court in Richmond, which will operate for one day a week until the end of March, when it will be closed for good.

It was earmarked for closure in November 2001 as part of a cost-cutting move by the North Yorkshire magistrates' courts committee.

Campaigners opposing the closure of Richmond's court had warned that it was not possible to reach Northallerton from some areas, such as the upper dales, by public transport by 10am, when the court begins its business.