A SMALL force of six determined people met to draw the battle lines in defence of Leigh Magistrates' Court.

Plans to terminate operations on Chapel Street and switch them to Wigan have enraged the town.

And, with the full backing of The Journal, a 'Council of War' has been convened.

Already they have organised a successful town-wide petition.

Now the Preserving Access To Justice group propose to take their opposition all the way to Westminster.

At a preliminary meeting brimming with ideas, Cllr Mark Hale said: "We have formed an all-parties group to oppose the closure and transfer of the magistrates court. "Already we have organised a successful petition around town and here at The Town Hall. It will be presented to Jane Kennedy, MP for Broad Green in Liverpool, who is the minister responsible for magistrates courts.

"Since the appeal must come directly from the local authority, we shall also be assisting them to put this together.

"We feel it is vital to keep the magistrates court here in Leigh. Losing it could have a crushing knock-on effect for the town."

Cllr Pete Turner said: "We are trying to preserve the very fabric of Leigh.

"This is something at the very heart of the town's welfare."

And he asked: "How much of the magistrates court affairs would we see in the pages of The Journal if the court was not situated here in Leigh?"

Christine Garner, representing Leigh Citizens Advice Bureua with colleague Marie Rice, said: "We are concerned about the effect it will have on the community.

"People could face real difficulties in getting representation, being forced to travel out of town. Then comes the extra cost and the inconvenience."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.