Kingston could be set for another battle to keep its historic courtroom open, after an official report said one in four London magistrates courts could be closed to save money.
Formal proposals with a list of magistrates courts that could be closed are expected after the General Election in May.
The last time Kingston Magistrates' Court, beneath Kingston Guildhall, was facing the axe was in 2002, when the Surrey Comet successfully spearheaded a campaign to save it and got thousands of supporters.
But the stay of execution granted at the time could be over.
The report, published by Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS), argues for fewer courts and even moots the idea of video-links from solicitor’s offices.
It states: "An obvious, but crude conclusion might be drawn that almost one in four courtrooms could be closed across London without detriment to timeliness or effectiveness of trials. This equates to about nine average sized courtrooms."
Edward Davey, Kingston and Surbiton MP, said: "I don’t think people should get over-alarmed yet. It doesn’t specifically mention Kingston but it should send a warning shot that we may have to fight the fight again."
But chairman of the South West London Magistrates’ Association warned that if Kingston was put on the list for closure it could be all but doomed.
Rupert Holderness, who sits in Hounslow, said the government would carry out their plans no matter what.
He said: "The likelihood is they will draw up the list and stick with it come what may.
"They will have the pain in terms of lots of campaigns.
"People will be cross with them.
"But if they move the axe to somewhere else they will just have a whole lot of new pain.
"Once they have dragged themselves through and screwed their courage to the sticking place they will feel no option to go through with the options they have chosen."
An HMCS spokesman emphasised that the report was a discussion paper and contained no firm proposals.
Councillor Derek Osbourne, leader of Kingston Council said he would again fight plans to close the court.
He said: "Obviously there is a loss of rental income which we would have to make up in other ways.
"But more important than that is the notion of having important police officers having to traipse across London to get people into courts rather than being able to stroll next door."
Chairman of the bench at Kingston, Harry Jones, said it was inappropriate for him to speak about the potential of closure because it was only a discussion paper and he would be standing down in January.
Jennifer Butterworth, chairman of Kingston Society, said: "There has been a magistrates court in Kingston ever since we have been a borough which I think is late medieval.
"It is quite ridiculous to have a crown court and a county court but not a magistrates court."
The last time Kingston magistrates’ court was under threat in 2002, the Surrey Comet joined forces with others across the borough to safeguard it and launched a petition.
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