THE backlog of crown court cases in South Yorkshire has reached an eight-year high, new figures show.

New figures from the Ministry of Justice show there were 1,826 open cases waiting to be heard by crown courts in South Yorkshire as of the end of September.

This has more than doubled since September 2019, before the Covid pandemic, when there were 779 cases.

It is also the largest backlog since 2016, when current records began.

Prosecutors have warned victims are facing waiting times of between two and five years before a case goes to trial, with court listings now running into 2027.

In South Yorkshire there were 327 sexual offences cases waiting to be heard, as well as 144 theft offence cases and 584 for violence against the person.