BARRISTERS wearing their full cloaks and wigs walked out of Chelmsford Crown Court in a protest over £220m cuts to legal aid.

The legal professionals based at the court joined thousands of their colleagues across the country on Monday in the demonstration which saw them leave their offices at 10am.

In April plans are set to be phased in by the Government which see cuts made to the legal aid system.

These include slashing fees in complex cases by 30 per cent.

Lawyers argue the cuts will badly affect their earnings and reduce representation available to defendants.