THE Magistrate Benches of Kendal and Barrow are to be combined from January 1 to form the South Cumbria Bench.

The aim is to improve the operation and co-ordination between the courts in Kendal and Barrow, said new chair and magistrate Jenny Farmer of Longsleddale.

It continues the trend of recent years to seek efficiencies whilst maintaining the service to the various users of the court system, she said. Family and youth courts will be unaffected by the changes, she said.

Ms Farmer MBE JP has been elected chair of the new South Cumbria Bench and deputy chairs are Alison Spurgeon Dixon JP from Barrow, and Stephen Baker JP from Kendal.

Ms Farmer said: "Our aim will be to combine the benches in a way that users of the court s in Kendal and Barrow see no change in the service we provide whilst improving the co-ordination and efficiency of the arrangements across the south of the county.

" Similar restructuring is happening elsewhere in the country and I am certain that South Cumbria will continue to deliver justice to the highest standard in the future."

The South Cumbria bench is seeking to recruit new magistrates over the next few months, so if anyone is interested in serving as a magistrate they can find out how to apply by going to www.gov.uk/become-magistrate.