SCOTLAND'S prisons inspector has called for an increase in the use of video technology to be introduced as a priority for court appearances after claiming it could save resources and time.

Brigadier Hugh Monro criticised the "minimal" use of video courts and said although there were plans to run a pilot scheme in the Highlands and Islands, it needed to be a "priority".

It comes after he previously highlighted concerns about Cornton Vale after finding that some women were spending up to eight hours a day travelling from the prison to courts in Wick, Inverness and Aberdeen. He said that despite logistical challenges, such as the large numbers of people attending courts in the central belt and the need to travel to distant courts in the north and south-west of Scotland, the prisoner escort service was functioning well.

But he added: "I continue to criticise the minimal use of video courts throughout Scotland, and previously have highlighted this situation at Cornton Vale, where women often have to travel to distant courts and back again in one day. I know there is a dedicated cross justice project to increase the use of video technology and I would urge that the proposed pilot scheme for courts in the Highlands and Islands is trialled as a priority."

In December The Herald reported that a working group had been established to look at how prisoners could make court appearances and meet solicitors via video conferences .

A spokesman for the Scottish Prison Service said: "There is a commitment and a belief that video-linking will be of significant benefit within the system. We are working with a number of partners to pursue that."