THE Redbridge branch of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said it is working to change its practices following a damning report which said it treated victims of crime "poorly".

The probe, conducted by watchdog the Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, rated the overall performance of the unit "poor" and said many victims were not kept informed about the court cases of their alleged attackers.

Chief crown prosecutor in the borough, Bridget Chohan, said: “We welcome the report and have already begun implementing a number of the aspects of improvement identified by the inspectorate.

"The report recognises that the borough is working in a difficult environment to overcome a number of challenges and we will be further analysing the areas that need improvement.

“Of particular importance to me are the inspectorate’s findings in relation to the service we provide to victims and witnesses. Ensuring those who are a victim of crime or who witness a crime are kept informed about the progress of a case is of vital importance to the CPS.

"We do have a high rate of witnesses not attending court and ultimately, without people coming forward, we cannot bring perpetrators to justice.

"I will be working hard with my staff and with our criminal justice partners to ensure that the service we provide to victims and witnesses is improved."