Coroner's court to be moved into Guildhall

A local building company, S Voase Builders Ltd, is lined up to carry out the work on two courts in the former magistrates' court.

The coroner's court, currently based at Essex House, has to hire facilities elsewhere when it hears jury inquests because there is no retiring room there for the jury members.

It means Coroner Geoffrey Saul is sometimes on one side of the city while a deputy hears another case at Essex House.

The move will bring them under one roof, with a choice of two courtrooms, converted from the original court numbers five and six.

Councillors have yet to decide whether to approve the plans.

Hull Council's head of customer services, Andy Brown, said: "The current accommodation for the court is not of an acceptable standard to enable us to offer the excellent environment we want for customers, staff and the coroner himself.

"The new accommodation will have bigger courts and better facilities for people visiting the court, including families, witnesses, jurors and the Press.

"We have been working closely with the coroner to ensure the new facilities meet his requirements."

The council says it will save money on leasing outside accommodation.

The magistrates court, on Alfred Gelder Street, was vacated nine years ago when the court moved across the road to new purpose-built buildings on the corner of Garrison Road and Market Place.

Before the 1970s, it was used for the quarterly assizes and the majority of Hull's most notorious murderers went up and down its steps before being sent on to face trial in the higher courts.