A COURT building where some of Rossendale's most notorious villains faced justice is set to go under the hammer.

With bids starting at £150,000, the building at St Mary’s Chambers, Rawtenstall, could go to any bidder who can foot the bill.

Built in the early 1860s, the 570-square metre building was erected by the cotton-rich Whitehead family as a Sunday school for the neighbouring chapel.

Since becoming a courthouse after the chapel closed in 1937, the building has seen some of the borough's worst villains pass through its chambers.

One of the most famous cases was the murder of Nancy Ellen Chadwick, 68, of Bacup Road, in Rawtenstall.

Mrs Chadwick visited her neighbour Maggie Allen, 48, to ask for some sugar on August 28 1948, when Allen attacked he with a hammer and left her for dead.

Allen, an unemployed slipper worker, was sentenced to death by hanging at Strangeways prison.

The court, off Haslingden Road, closed its doors in 2011 following a move by Her Majesty’s Court Service.

Documents showed it would take £225,000 to carry out wide-ranging maintenance works needed at the magistrates’ courthouse, which cost £73,739 to run each year.

Chris Lloyd, director in office agency at DTZ commercial property agents, said: “It’s a fantastic piece of real estate. It’s very interesting inside.

“It’s a real quality construction, as all the court houses of its period were.

“The person or company that buys the property could use it for residential, commercial or leisure purposes.

“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of interest in it from developers, occupiers, and many other people.”

Coun Andy MacNae, executive member for regeneration, tourism and leisure, said: “We will only back a new owner if they plan to maintain the character of the original building.

“Assets like the court are protected by the council.

“If a developer wants to use the property to create quality leisure or hospitality location, then this would be a good thing.”