A PLAID Cymru MP accused the government yesterday of underhandedly skewing data to justify plans to close over 80 courts in England and Wales.

Both opposition MPs and Tory backbenchers have queried the motivation behind a £700 million government attempt to “modernise” the justice system, warning that it would deny many people access to justice.

The most damning allegation came from Plaid’s Liz Saville Roberts, who claimed that she had evidence that cases had been deliberately moved from certain courts to doctor government data.