Hundreds of criminal trials are being delayed because of our crumbling, rat-infested courts.
One postponed case involved the alleged rape of a child under 10, which was rescheduled after air conditioning broke down.
The trial is now due to start next month – five years after the original allegation was made.
And barristers say it was one of three rape trials halted in one day.
Maintenance problems mean cases have been stopped or disrupted 754 times since October, according to official figures.
Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said: “The silent scandal of our crumbling courts is adding to a gigantic backlog of unheard criminal cases caused by the Conservatives’ cuts.”
The Public and Commercial Services Union says rodents have plagued Birmingham Magistrates Court – where staff have also had to use a bucket to collect rainwater dripping through the roof.
At Bromley, south London, workers battled a plague of flies. In Willesden, north London, there were reports of an infestation of fleas. And JPs in Portsmouth have endured the stench of fox droppings.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Court staff should not have to put up with rats, animal excrement and unsafe buildings as a daily feature of their working lives.”
The Society of Labour Lawyers has even made a 2022 calendar with images of their squalid workplaces.
Despite Government promises, the backlog in court cases that existed before the pandemic is getting worse.
Barristers’ union the Criminal Bar Association said: “In medical terms, it’s like a waiting list for life-changing surgery getting longer each week.”
And Mr Reed added: “Every lost day of court sitting time means more victims denied justice and more serious criminals left to roam our streets.”
The Ministry of Justice said: “Cases are often moved into different courtrooms so they can still proceed and last year more than £150million was spent to improve court buildings.”
