SALISBURY’S resident judge has spoken out over the chief constable’s u-turn on a new custody unit for the city.

Judge Keith Cutler, who has been the city’s resident judge since 2003, said he was “very worried” about the delay and the lack of provision of “proper police and custody facilities” in south Wiltshire.

In May Wiltshire Police confirmed the new police custody unit would be on the site of the old engine sheds close to Salisbury Railway Station and said architects were drawing up possible designs.

However, on Monday the chief constable said the plans were “on hold” and warned the city may never have one again.

Judge Cutler said: “I’m dishearted by this recent turn of events. I’m concerned.

“The chief constable has been put in a very difficult position. Back in April he said this is a resignation issue then he’s told you’ve got to find another £3 million of savings a year.

“If he hadn’t had money taken away from his budget I would say it was wrong.

“What happens I’m afraid is that the Police and Crime Commissioner and the chief constable say these things and then politicians say we haven’t got the money.

“It’s actually quite monstrous. More and more the Treasury has driven this – money is being taken away and being placed elsewhere - we’re being starved of money.”

Despite his concern, Judge Cutler welcomed the speed of the review, adding: “The good thing coming out of this is that the future of Melksham’s custody facilities is up for review.

“If there was a site in Amesbury or Tidworth then that might serve the local areas far better than it being at Melksham.”

He added: “Politicians all think they will never become defendants – they might become witnesses or victims but think they will never be unfairly charged or wrongfully accused.

“The way the criminal justice system looks after defendants is very far down the list.”

Richard Griffiths, who started Richard Griffiths & Co law firm in Salisbury in 1979, said: “The chief constable should have been a politician, not a police officer, if he’s capable of such double speak.

“We were promised that we would have a custody suite in Salisbury.

“It’s a massive problem - the reality is that people from my firm can get to custody suites in Dorset and Hampshire more quickly than we can get to custody suite in Melksham or Swindon.

Mr Griffiths said part of the problem lay with county boundaries which were drawn up in the Middle Ages.

“To my mind the sensible decision would be to have the new custody unit at Solstice Park in Amesbury,” he said.

“The purpose-built unit could serve as far west as Shaftesbury, as far east as Andover and as far south as Ringwood and Lyndhurst.

“It would make huge sense but we are bound by these medieval boundaries.”

He added: “With many crimes no longer being investigated and many of those that are no longer leading to prosecution, the quality of the criminal justice system in this county is utterly appalling – it’s absolutely on its knees.”