A judge has praised the staff at Ipswich Crown Court for their efforts in helping to tackle an extensive backlog of cases.

Judge Martyn Levett said there is a total of 700 cases in the court’s backlog but there are “signs of it being reduced”.

Many of the cases waiting to be heard at the court include those involving defendants from Colchester, Clacton and Harwich.

Judge Levett said “our staff are working very hard” to rattle through cases after the backlog built up through the pandemic and during last year’s barrister strikes.