TWO Gwent county courts are set to close next year. The Lord Chancellor's office announced the closure of Monmouth and Chepstow county courts yesterday.

Both will continue to operate as normal in to the New Year, before closing their doors for the last time at the end of March 2002.

The closures were authorised by Lord Chancellor Lord Irvine, whose decision follows public consultation and an evaluation of the two courts by the Court Service. Both Monmouth and Chepstow courts were condemned as being of "an extremely poor standard" and "expensive to maintain".

Neither court has disabled access, public toilets or telephones. Security at the two premises has also been criticised.

The closures will mean future civil hearings will take place in High Trees, Station Road, Chepstow - currently being used as an area office for Monmouth county council and as Monmouth magistrates court.

All administrative work will be spread among existing facilities at Newport, Hereford and Gloucester.

Caldicot solicitor Andrew Twomlow had previously opposed plans to close the courts. Mr Twomlow, who is also secretary of the Monmouthshire Law Society, said: "I think this makes life much more difficult for everyone in the area, especially as this covers rural areas.

"Locally there was quite strong opposition to the proposals to close the court, and we had been led to believe that there had been a reprieve.

"There was a lot of local feeling about it and the Chamber of Trade was against it. "It doesn't make a huge difference to people in the legal profession, but people who need to use the courts will have problems.

"The reality is that the main users of the court service have debt problems and they are not helped by having a facility which is for court hearings only. It's a retrograde step and a great pity."