A NORTH Wales law firm is bucking a UK-wide trend by growing its criminal law team.

Gamlins Law has increased the number of criminal lawyers from two to six in the last 18 months.

The department, led by Gamlins Law director Dafydd Roberts, also saw revenues increase by more than 25 per cent in 2018 compared to the previous year.

The firm has six offices - Rhyl, Ruthin, Mold, Abergele, Denbigh and Holywell - and its criminal team is regularly asked to represent clients in major cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

They specialise in in representing clients accused of more serious conspiracy offences, including conspiracy to supply drugs, murder and fraud.

Dafydd, head of criminal law, said: “We believe passionately in the importance of people having access to justice.

“The findings from the Law Society regarding the rapid decline in the number of duty solicitors being available to represent clients at police stations is extremely worrying.

“We have grown our team considerably in the last 18 months and expect to continue investing in the department over the next couple of years.

“We are fast gaining a strong reputation not only within North Wales but also in North West England and the Midlands.”

The growth of the firm’s criminal law team coincides with warnings from the Law Society that a “chronic” lack of duty solicitors may result in innocent people being found guilty.

Nearly half of all duty solicitors in England and Wales are over the age of 50 and there is a shortage of younger lawyers choosing to specialise in criminal law.

Gamlins Law has gone against the UK trend by recruiting two new duty solicitors, Michael Pugh and Rebecca Boswell, both of whom are under 40.

Experienced solicitors Simon Simmons and Phil Lloyd-Jones and senior case worker Peter Williams make up the other members of the six-strong Gamlins criminal law team.

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