A partial shutdown at Nottingham Crown Court has resulted from a reported gas leak, leading to suspension of court cases and confusion among attendees.
Nottingham Crown Court has experienced a partial shutdown following reports of a gas leak within the building. The incident led to the suspension of some court cases, with prisoners in custody being temporarily transferred to Nottingham Magistrates’ Court. As a safety precaution, dock officers were directed to move to the lower court on Carrington Street, and two gas engineers were seen conducting assessments inside the Nottingham Crown Court premises.
The situation unfolded dramatically as a court reporter from Nottinghamshire Live was concluding coverage of a sentencing hearing in courtroom three when an unexpected notification interrupted proceedings. A dock officer informed the presiding judge, “I am sorry, your honour, but there has been a gas leak and we are evacuating the docks.” The unexpected announcement not only halted the hearing in progress but also left many court users bewildered regarding the implications of the gas leak.
Comments from court attendees reflected a sense of confusion and frustration. One barrister remarked, “After everything that has been happening in this building recently you really couldn’t make it up.” A court user, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed uncertainty, stating, “It’s a gas leak, or at least an alleged gas leak. Who knows what it is?” Another individual commented on the ongoing issues faced by the court, noting, “This building is not that old but seemingly everything is happening to it at the moment. We were only told this morning that courtrooms four and five, which have been shut for two months, are going to be opening again on Monday but who knows if that will happen or not? We were told things were ‘on the up’ and now this has happened.”
Nottinghamshire Live has extensively reported on the conditions of the Canal Street building throughout 2025. Earlier in January, the court faced operational delays as prisoners were not brought to the cells due to inadequate heating, resulting in continued disruption for defendants, jurors, victims, witnesses, and other court users. During the same month, a barrister recalled the uncomfortable conditions in courtroom five, recalling that it was “9C in courtroom five, I can hardly feel my fingers and water is dripping onto one of the seats.”
The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for an official response concerning the gas leak and ongoing issues at Nottingham Crown Court, as the situation continues to develop.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://westbridgfordwire.com/nottinghamshire-citizens-silent-protest-outside-crown-court-on-jury-equity-day/ – Although not directly related to the gas leak incident, this URL provides context about recent activities involving Nottingham Crown Court, highlighting its significance and ongoing issues.
- https://www.noahwire.com – As the source mentioned in the article, it could potentially provide more information or similar reports on Nottingham Crown Court issues, though specific search results for the gas leak are not available.
- https://www.gov.uk/tax-and-benefits/orders-for-court – This URL does not directly address the gas leak but provides general information about court proceedings and could be relevant for broader context on UK court operations.
- https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/emergency-planning/emergency-preparedness/gas-leak – While not directly about the Nottingham Crown Court incident, this URL offers general advice on handling gas leaks, which could be relevant to safety precautions taken during the incident.
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/justice-and-safety – This URL provides general information about justice and safety in the UK. It does not specifically address the gas leak at Nottingham Crown Court but offers context on government policies related to court operations.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative mentions ongoing issues in 2025, indicating recent events and updates. However, without a specific date or comparison to earlier reports, it’s challenging to confirm if this is the first instance of coverage.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The quotes appear to be original as they do not seem to be widely available online. However, without further confirmation, it cannot be ruled out that they were published earlier without online detection.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from a local news outlet (Nottingham Post) that is likely to have local knowledge and access to current events. This increases its reliability and trustworthiness.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The situation described in the narrative is plausible given the ongoing operational issues mentioned, such as heating problems and courtroom closures. The context of gas leaks and building maintenance issues provides a logically consistent framework.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears to be recent and covers ongoing issues at Nottingham Crown Court, which are plausible given the context. The source is likely reliable as it is a local news outlet, and the quotes do not appear to be recycled from earlier reports.
