THE SNP and Scottish Conservatives are at war over statistics that reveal it is taking longer to process court cases at Ayr Sheriff Court.

The statistics were revealed following a parliamentary question from Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont.

In total, 119 cases concluded at Ayr Sheriff Court during the 26-week time target in November 2016 - an overall percentage of 73.5 per cent.

This was down 12 per cent in comparison to to statistics accumulated in November 2015, a month in which 85.1 per cent of cases were concluded in time.

The Scottish Conservatives said the statistics are a telling sign that courts across the country are struggling to cope with a series of closures embarked upon by the SNP Government in recent years.

Ayr MSP John Scott said: “This is yet another example of the SNP’s stubbornness and going ahead with decisions despite being warned against it.

“The two sheriff court’s in Ayrshire’s statistics were already poor, and now we’re discovering that those involved in legal proceedings are continuing to consistently be left in limbo.

“The least the SNP could do is ensure that the courts they have not shut are given the sufficient resources to see these cases through within the target timeframe.”

However, local MP Corri Wilson accused the Tories of ‘massaging figures’ for their own use.

She said: “This is the Scottish Conservatives yet again massaging figures for their own purposes. The Scottish Government’s reform of our court system involved the closure of some smaller courts which had become unfit for purpose and were under-used, but none of these were in Ayrshire. A couple of the smaller JP courts have moved into the same building as Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, but this has not impacted on the court’s capacity.

“Across Scotland, the proportion of cases not able to proceed in court due to a lack of court time has actually reduced, but the number of cases now going to trial has increased. The reality is that the justice system is having to respond to an increase in case complexity, particularly in relation to domestic abuse and sexual violence.

“The rise in reporting of these types of crimes is seeing an increasing number now able proceed to trial, and their more complex nature can take up more court time.”