The Leeds Mercantile Court is badly under-resourced and cases from Leeds increasingly have to come down to London, leading litigators in Yorkshire's legal centre have told the Gazette.

The solicitors, who preferred not to be named, said they did not want to offend judges in the court - but one said the absence of specialist judges in the city was 'not satisfactory'.

Another said: 'A significant chunk of work goes to London [courts].

It's a reliability issue.

You know that in London you'll be happy with the judge you get.'

He added: 'We have some judges that are good but we also have some whose outcomes are inconsistent.

We could do with more High Court judges on the circuit or sitting in the Leeds Mercantile Court, and a positive drive to develop the court to deal with work.'

A third solicitor said that issuing in the Leeds Mercantile Court 'wouldn't be my first option'.

The solicitor said: 'Some [Mercantile Court judges] are good and some are no good, and as there are fewer judges there is less choice.

We've a policy of trying to use northern courts where we can, but there are cases of a certain complexity beyond which we have to go to London.'

Jeremy Fleming