Both Epsom County and Magistrates' Court will close and cases transferred to Guildford and Reigate, the Ministry of Justice has announced.

The decision comes only a month and a half after Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge opposed the move, calling for more work to be done before the "excellent, modern facility" was closed.

The move, announced to MPs yesterday, has been criticised by Epsom and Ewell Citizens Advice Bureau who have described Epsom as a "modern Court which has been recently refurbished".

Tom Sheriff, manager of Epsom and Ewell CAB, said: "Closure of the court will significantly reduce access to justice for local residents.

"Many of our most poor and vulnerable clients will find it difficult to travel to Guildford and Reigate.

"I am particularly worried that more people will lose their homes as a result."

Mr Sheriff also questioned the financial benefits for the projected closure, adding: "When all factors are taken into account - the long lease, the recent cost of refurbishment and the possible costs to the borough of re-housing more homeless families - it is not clear that there will be significant financial savings overall."

The decision come after a series of full public consultations and proposals, with the Ministry of Justice promising to reinvest £22m of money saved into modernising and improving existing courts.

Justice Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: “Access to justice is not just about access to buildings. It’s about the type of justice delivered, decent facilities for victims and witnesses and efficient use of the system.

“We are closing the worst courts in the estate – so we can concentrate our limited resources on the best ones. We are investing in the court estate with new buildings and with refurbishment of facilities.

“There will be longer journeys for some to their closest court but we should not operate courts just to shave minutes off a journey that many will never need to make.”

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: "This is an appalling system that will deprive Epsom of a vital facility.

"The idea that it only takes an hour to get to Guildford is laughable - it’s depriving residents of local justice."