You really couldn’t make this up. Some conscientious guy doing his best to abide by his bail conditions turned up to report at Macclesfield Police Station on December 27 and found it CLOSED.

The next day Cheshire Police arrested him, kept him in the cells overnight and marched him into court the following day for breach of bail.

(The police told us later that although the public inquiry counter was closed there was a phone outside that connects directly to the control room where officers were on duty and could have helped – but that wasn’t said in court).

The defending solicitor told the court: "It would have been nice if Cheshire Police had shown some initiative knowing the station was closed."

And with immaculate understatement the chairman of the bench dismissed the charge.

He replied: "It would have been better if the police had notified the court that the station was closed."

It’s quite funny when you’re not involved but when your liberty depends on the CPS, police, courts, solicitors and magistrates ALL getting it right it must be a nightmare.

It’s an emergency service, for God’s sake.

It’s not a corner shop. You could buy a cheeseburger any time on Dec ember 27.

Maybe Ronald McDonald should be put in charge.

No wonder lawyer ‘Mr Loophole’ is in such demand.

If there was ever a time to employ a REALLY good lawyer this is it.

God knows what will happen when the cuts start to bite?