Urgent talks are being held to try to halt the closure of Horsham magistrates' court.

If they fail, many court users face lengthy journeys to Crawley or Chichester for justice.

West Sussex County Council is opposing the move and has organised meetings with the shadow magistrates' court committee which has drawn up the scheme as part of a five-year justice plan.

The council's cabinet member for community services David Dewdney attacked the proposal, claiming it will lead to a "more remote and less accessible service".

His department has already criticised the merger of the East and West Sussex Magistrates' Courts Committee from April.

A report prepared for Coun Dewdney says: "People living in the north-west of the county will either have to look to Chichester or Crawley for the administration of justice and it will mean greater distances to travel for the public who need to attend court."

The recommendation follows plans already announced to close Arundel court by the end of this year and closures which have already taken place at Midhurst, Petworth and Steyning in recent years.

The plan proposes four instead of ten magistrates' benches across Sussex. The county council has been told the changes will enable people in Southwick and Portslade to use Brighton instead of Worthing and people from Crowborough will in future be able to use Haywards Heath instead of Brighton or Lewes.

But Coun Dewdney's department says: "While this may be true it does nothing to improve access to local justice for those in the rural areas of the north-west of West Sussex."

The council's concerns will be discussed at meetings with the shadow committee.

West Sussex says as it pays 20 per cent of the costs of running courts it should have a say in the way the service operates.

It also wants a clear statement from the committee about proposals to reopen a courthouse at Littlehampton, which was first suggested ten years ago but has never happened.