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Britain's courts are turning to low-paid outside workers as they axe thousands of their own staff in a Tory cuts drive.

Ministers admit there are now 2,623 agency staff in HM Courts and Tribunals Service - a 67% rise in just three years.

And all but 26 of them are in the two lowest-paid bands F and E, which include administrative officers and courtroom ushers.

Agency workers now make up 14.2% of the service's staff as of March 2019, up from 8.5% (1,569 staff) in March 2016.

It comes as the the court service axes 5,000 full-time equivalent staff by 2023 as part of reforms to slice £265million a year off its budget.

Simon Davis, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, warned the changes could have "grave implications" for the justice system.

He said: "The government’s court modernisation programme has had a significant impact on our justice system. Since 2010, more than 50% of magistrates’ courts have been closed.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

"Morale among courts and tribunal staff is understandably low. Many feel they have no choice but to move on: disaffected by levels of pay, reductions in staff numbers and the constant threat of further closures.

"We know that knowledgeable and experienced staff are incredibly important for the smooth running of cases.

"Properly trained, knowledgeable clerks perform an invaluable role especially for vulnerable and unrepresented appellants. If this requirement cannot be met there may be grave implications for our system of justice."

Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon, who obtained the figures, said they showed "yet more evidence of the chaos at the heart of the government’s court reform programme."

The Labour MP added: "Axing thousands of experienced staff and replacing them with agency workers risks further undermining the experience of victims and witnesses in court.

"These figures will only fuel fears that, despite all the rhetoric, the Tory so-called courts reform programme is really just a smokescreen for yet more cuts and a race to the bottom in our courts system."

(Image: iStockphoto)

Cuts have already begun in the service - it had 15,730 total employees in March 2019, down from 16,696 in March 2016 and 15,848 in March 2018.

Justice Minister Paul Maynard said ministers' "strategy" is to "increase the capability of our staff, whilst simultaneously increasing our workforce flexibility through the increased usage of contingent labour."

He added: "This is in order to reduce redundancy costs and protect the jobs of longer serving, permanent staff."

But PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The use of agency staff to cover key court roles, when we have had swingeing cuts in the justice sector, is a slap in the face to our members.

“Ministers should be hanging their heads in shame for getting rid of experienced staff, only to waste money on using agency workers to plug the gaps they have created.

“Our courts are creaking at the seams. Only with a properly resourced and well paid staff can we have the justice system that works for all.”

HM Courts and Tribunals Service pointed to separate data that shows despite staff cuts, the total years' service by those who remain has actually increased.

HMCTS staff had 197,000 years' service between them in March 2018, up from 165,000 years in March 2012.

A HM Courts and Tribunals Service spokesman said: “The collective experience of our staff has risen almost a fifth in the last six years, while using agency staff saves the taxpayer money and avoids redundancies.”