POLICE bosses have vowed to make life easier for victims and witnesses attending court.
Figures in a recent report to the Lancashire Criminal Justice Board show that in almost half the cases at magistrates court witnesses and victims need not attend as defendants decide to plead guilty on the day of the trial.
Police have said they will work with the courts and the Crown Prosecution Service to reduce the number of so-called cracked trials.
The Lancashire Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) was launched last year to bring more offenders to justice.
It comprises senior officials from the police, probation service, courts, Crown Prosecution Service, youth offending teams, prisons and Victim Support.
The head of Criminal Justice for Lancashire Constabulary, Tim Ewen, said: "We need to work together to make sure we reduce the number of cracked trials by ensuring decisions to enter guilty pleas are taken earlier in the process."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article