^{At least Keegan doesn't have to explain the court closure. Small mercies.}

A court building has been shut down this week due to safety concerns over the roof being made of RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete).

The government has closed Preston Magistrates Court for around three to fourth months, to carry out repairs. It follows Harrow Crown Court also shuttering its doors in August due to RAAC. The lightweight concrete was used in many public buildings during the 1960s-80s and is made with air bubbles, like an Aero chocolate bar, but now turning into a Flake. 

A spokesperson for HM Courts & Tribunals Service told RollOnFriday that "improvement works" would be carried out "including repairs to the roof and mitigating RAAC that has recently deteriorated due to suspected water damage."

“Cases will be heard at alternative sites to minimise disruption while we carry out repairs as quickly as possible," said the spokesperson.

The presence of RAAC in buildings led to 150 schools closing over the last month, just as the new academic year started. 

Critics of the government have used the crumbling concrete as a metaphor for deteriorating services across the country, with hospitals, public transport and courts all feeling the strain. Those defending the government point out that managing such building risks has spanned successive governments since the 1990s, not just the incumbent regime.

The government has now reviewed 350 court buildings across the land and identified that seven contained RAAC. Just the two courts (Preston and Harrow) were closed, as the other five buildings were deemed to be safe.