A COMPLETE overhaul of the computerised business systems used by staff at Bolton Magistrates Court is needed, according to a report.

Alex Carlos, Clerk to the Justices at Bolton, makes the point in his annual report to the town's 200 magistrates.

He writes: "The introduction of the new Lord Chancellor's Department sponsored computer system called LIBRA cannot be implemented too soon for this clerkship."

Mr Carlos praised his staff for "pulling out all the stops" during a period of upheaval and disruption at the courts caused by key staff leaving.

He paid tribute to court clerks from other areas, including Leigh and Wigan, Rochdale, Bury, Tameside and Trafford, who stepped in at short notice to cover Bolton courts on 28 occasions.

He said that one of the dominating factors of the last 12 months had been training sessions for the recently introduced Human Rights Act.

But he said some magistrates were incorrectly applying for some courses and that lack of training needed to be identified through appraisals.

Other magistrates were also booking courses and then failing to turn up for them which in turn caused problems for their colleagues.

Mr Carlos added that during the spring and summer of last year the emphasis had been on Youth Courts following the introduction of new statutory provisions.

Later magistrates received training to administer the new sentencing guidelines promoted by the Magistrates' Association and the Lord Chancellor.