New data has revealed there were almost 2,000 outstanding cases at Preston and Burnley Crown Courts at the end of June.

The backlog has been caused by a decade of cuts to the justice system by successive Conservative Governments, the Covid pandemic, and the more recent strikes by members of the Criminal Bar Association.

Ministry of Justice data shows there were 1,417 outstanding cases at Preston Crown Court at the end of June, while there were 348 outstanding cases at Burnley Crown Court.

At Preston, that figure was up from 1,304 at the end of March, but a decrease from 1,460 at the same point in 2021.

Uncompleted case numbers are ​69 per cent higher than they were prior to the coronavirus pandemic – in June 2019, there were 838 cases outstanding at Preston Crown Court.

Of the cases outstanding at the end of June, 357 (25 per cent) related to alleged violent attacks and 224 (16 per cent) were for sex offences, including 58 alleged rapes.

In relation to Burnley Crown Court, the 348 outstanding cases is up from 335 at the end of March, but a decrease from 365 at the same point in 2021.

Uncompleted case numbers are ​54 per cent higher than they were prior to the coronavirus pandemic – in June 2019, there were 226 cases outstanding at Burnley Crown Court.

Of the cases outstanding at the end of June, 83 (24 per cent) related to alleged violent attacks and 51 (15 per cent) were for sex offences, including seven alleged rapes.

The Law Society of England and Wales has warned that trust in the criminal justice system is in "jeopardy", as new figures show there are thousands of cases still outstanding, with victims of even the most serious crimes facing long waits to get their case before a court.

The latest figures came ahead of this week's vote by criminal barristers across the country on whether to end indefinite strike action – launched over issues around legal aid fees and conditions – following a pay offer from new Justice Secretary Brandon Lewis after months of inaction by former minister Dominic Raab.

Across England and Wales, 59,700 cases were yet to be concluded at the end of June – up two per cent from March, and a rise of nearly three-quarters compared to June 2019, when 34,500 were outstanding.

Diana Fawcett, chief executive of the charity Victim Support, said: “Long waits for trial cause immense stress and misery for victims.

"Sadly, wait times for court are only part of the problem – many people have already waited years from reporting the crime to the police to their case reaching the courts.

“This a particular problem for victims of sexual violence – our case workers are supporting victims who have been waiting upwards of five years to have their cases heard."

President of the Law Society, Stephanie Boyce, which represents solicitors, said the national backlog of criminal court cases has left victims and defendants facing "unacceptable delays".

She added: “The criminal justice system has been devastated by years of underfunding and cuts and there are not enough judges, barristers and solicitors to cover all the cases.

“Trust in the system is in real jeopardy and a system collapse would embolden criminals.

“The UK Government is falling way short of addressing the crisis in the criminal justice system. You cannot fix the problems in the system unless you fund all parts of it effectively."

Criminal barristers in England and Wales have been taking part in a continuous walkout after their row with the Government over fees intensified.

Members of the Criminal Bar Association are set to vote this week on whether to end strike action after being offered “a comprehensive package” including a 15 per cent fee increase for new and existing cases, with a decision due on Monday, October 10.

Mark Fenhalls KC, chairman of the Bar Council, which regulates barristers, welcomed news of the CBA ballot and added that the Government should commit to a funding package for the justice system which would see every serious case in the crown court offered a trial date within six months.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Restoring the swift access to justice victims deserve is our absolute priority and we are spending almost half a billion pounds to reduce wait times, as well as boosting funding for victim support to £460 million over the next three years.

“On top of this, the Government has deployed a range of measures – including unlimited sitting days, Nightingale courts and increasing magistrate sentencing powers – that has so far reduced the backlog in the Crown Court by more than 2,000 from its peak and seen magistrates’ cases return to pre-pandemic levels.”