Judges and Court staff gathered to bid an emotional farewell to one of Bradford district’s last remaining court houses which has closed after more than 180 years administering justice.

District Judge Gordon Lingard was joined by crown court judge His Honour Judge Robert Bartfield at Keighley County Court in North Street, during an official closing ceremony at the historic building yesterday.

Mr Lingard praised the “warmth, friendliness and efficiency” of Keighley’s court staff, most of whom have worked in the town for more than two decades.

The district judge highlighted the court’s rich history since it opened in 1831 as a court of requests – a type of tribunal set up originally to recover small debts – and as a petty sessions criminal court.

It became Keighley County Court in 1847, then in 1951 expanded into offices above the Yorkshire Bank.

Mr Lingard paid tribute to the well-known judges that had served at the court, including the outspoken former recorder and north eastern circuit judge James Pickles, and Arthur Hutchinson QC.

He said a search through the court’s archives uncovered a scroll with details of the 369 lawyers and solicitors who had served there between 1857 and 1935.

They included names, such as Burr, Dewhirst, Gordon, Waddingtons and Wright, which live on in the names of Bradford solicitors’ practices.

Mr Lingard told how the last few years had been ones of uncertainty for Keighley County Court and its staff.

The court house been closed as part of a raft of Government cost-cutting measures that have seen the end of 140 of 157 court buildings across the UK earmarked for closure in order to save £41.5 million in running costs.

Its closure follows the final cases at Keighley Magistrates Court, which sat in Bingley until it also became a victim of the cull announced by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke in December.

Civil cases previously heard at Keighley will now be moved to Skipton County Court, where most of the staff team will now be based, or to Bradford.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins, who campaigned to keep the town’s courts open, said: “Despite the best efforts of many of us, including my own meeting with the Justice Minister in London, two courts here were on a long list across the country chosen for closure.

“However, I am assured that local people in Keighley will be provided with a high-quality service under the new arrangements for many years to come.”