Trade union dubs PFI court buildings 'chaotic and shoddy'

Privately financed court buildings are 'chaotic, shoddy and costly', the Association of Magisterial Officers (AMO) - the trade union for magistrates' court staff - has claimed.

The costs of the private finance initiative (PFI) courts in Kidderminster and Hereford & Worcester is thought to total 4 million a year for the next 25 years - the annual cost of the old buildings was 400,000.

AMO general secretary Rosie Eagleson said: 'The projects have proved very, very expensive - yet the workmanship has been bad.

Our fear is that all the money being pumped in the building will result in staff being laid off to balance the books.'A Lord Chancellor's Department spokeswoman said: 'PFI is making an important contribution to improving standards of services and provides better value than a traditional capital scheme.'Andrew Towler