HOW many more times will we have to suffer being told that a service we are to be deprived of is somehow a good thing and will actually benefit us?

We, like many, have become tired of the scant disregard given to the people of Fenland and the threat to the magistrates’ court in Wisbech is a bitter and untimely blow.

The financial savings are, by comparison to what the Chancellor expects to reap from his draconian budget, minimal and we wonder just what sort of mindset is at work that can possibly believe sending all defendants to Peterborough or Kings Lynn is an improvement?

Frankly we are staggered, but not surprised, by the so called consultation that has begun and we urge people to rebel against this monstrous proposal.

The Ministry of Justice didn’t even have the decency to let local people know about first hand about their proposal –we only found out by chance but that aside the proposal must be fought tooth and nail and MP Steve Barclay, who was ridiculed many times for suggesting both the downgrading and threat to Wisbech Police Station and the magistrates court, must be mighty angry that his Parliamentary colleague has dropped this bombshell.

Your chance to shine, Steve, has come earlier than might have been expected but you must campaign against this threatened closure and we expect thousands to support you.

The Government says we should not think about access to justice as simply a question of length of the journey to the nearest court but we need to consider video and telephone links and other technologies.

Sheer, utter poppycock- and laughable if it wasn’t so scary.