A backlog of local court cases caused by lockdown is leaving too many victims waiting for justice, Staffordshire Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis has said.

The statement comes after the lockdown period caused an increase in the number of outstanding court cases in the county.

In response, Matthew Ellis has raised concerns about the impact of Coronavirus on the local courts, and has called for a strategy to be outlined on how the backlog will be cleared.

He said: "I'm very concerned about how the system is going to catch up and get back to some kind of normality.

"Earlier this week temporary 'Nightingale Courts' were announced at ten locations across the country to help tackle the huge backlogs, but Staffordshire wasn't one of them, which is very disappointing.

"I want to be clear on what is being done in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to get back on track as quickly as possible.

"This can't be done in a vacuum; agencies need to work together to help resolve this situation as soon as possible, before it gets out of control."

Deputy Crime Commissioner Sue Arnold has shared these concerns, fearing that some victims of crime may never see justice done.

She said: "Victims have already suffered enough and even in normal circumstances the wait for their cases to be dealt with in the courts can put a huge strain on them and their families.

"There's a real risk many of these cases might just fall apart if victims can't face waiting months more for justice to be done.

"We're asking a lot of them and I want to ensure everything is being done in Staffordshire to help them through this uncertainty, keep them informed and give them support.

"It's not acceptable for victims to be forgotten about and left in the dark - there needs to be action and it needs to happen quickly."

The latest figures have shown a 37% increase in outstanding magistrates' cases across Staffordshire during the lockdown period.

Various ideas have been put forward in other areas of the country, including courts sitting at weekends and outside normal hours to clear the backlog.