The removal of wickets in the cell doors of London magistrates' courts will cause huge expense to the public purse and lengthy delays for defence lawyers, criminal solicitors warned this week.

Wickets - which can be opened to allow a conversation through the cell door - have recently been replaced in 14 London magistrates' courts after the openings were used in four separate prisoner suicide incidents from 1997-2001.

Following pressure from solicitors, the Greater London Magistrates Courts Authority (GLMCA) has suspended work on three remaining courts until increased interview facilities are made available.

Michael Burdette, consultant at Hanne & Co in London and former president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association (LCCSA), said the decision to replace wickets with glass-vision panels without providing alternative interview facilities was 'bureaucratic ineptitude'.

Mr Burdette estimated that the lack of alternative facilities could cost the legal aid budget as much as 1 million.

Robert Brown, chairman of the LCCSA, said he was pleased the GLMCA had responded promptly to solicitors' concerns.

But he added: 'The removal of wickets interferes with the defendant's right to have a private consultation with a lawyer, and the right to have adequate time and facilities to prepare a defence.

'It is an example of how decisions are taken in the criminal justice system which fail to take account of the downstream consequences.'

Mark Eldridge, director of legal operations at GLMCA, said: 'The work is causing some delay [to solicitors], which we are trying to ameliorate.

We are trying to have regard not only for convenience on the day, but also our duty to look after vulnerable defendants.'

Rachel Rothwell