Sittingbourne Magistrates' Court has been earmarked for closure as part of a massive 'modernisation' shake-up by the Ministry of Justice.

Instead, people would have to travel to either Canterbury - almost 25 miles away - or Chatham, which is about 13 miles from the town.

Sittingbourne is one of 103 magistrates' courts and 54 county courts in England and Wales that have been deemed under-used and inadequate.

It is housed in a converted Victorian building and although it was refurbished a decade ago, full compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act is said to be impossible.

Consultation papers on the plans, which could result in national savings of around £15.3m per year plus £21.5m on maintenance costs, were published on Wednesday.

At Sittingbourne the 2009/10 operating cost was £136,059, which excludes staff.

There are four staff at Sittingbourne, although workers from other courts travel there for hearings.

Closure would also remove the need for Her Majesty's Court Service (HMCS) investment in backlog maintenance of around £195,000.

Courts Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: "When public finances are under pressure, it is vital to eliminate waste and reduce costs.

The Government is committed to supporting local justice, enabling justice to be done and seen to be done in our communities.

"Magistrates hear the majority of criminal cases and this voluntary contribution will continue to be strongly supported by the government as the bedrock of our justice system."

He added that the government is also looking at whether all disputes need to be resolved in court and whether technology can be used more effectively to reduce physical attendance in court.

The merger of a number of Local Justice Areas also forms part of the consultation.

Ashford Magistrates' Court is also at risk of closure. So are the county courts in Ashford - based in the same building as the magistrates' court - and Gravesend, in King Street.