Criminal solicitors are threatening strike action in Brighton later this month.

If they do carry out the threat, it is believed to be the first industrial action in the history of the legal profession.

They intend boycotting police stations and magistrates courts for 24 hours on December 18 and 19 in a row over legal aid.

If the action goes ahead, police would have to search round the county to find lawyers to represent arrested suspects or they may have to release suspects on bail until the action ends.

A preliminary meeting to discuss the move is planned for next Friday at Brighton and Hove Magistrates Court.

The dispute surrounds Government plans to put criminal defence firms under franchised contracts for legal aid work, replacing the current pay-as-you-work system.

The reforms, part of a Government drive to cut the spiralling legal aid bill, are to come into effect in April.

Solicitors maintain it would add a huge administrative burden to their costs when there has been no increase in legal aid payments for eight years.

A threat of similar action last month was dropped when the Lord Chancellor's office agreed to reveal rates of pay under the new contracts.

Now they have seen that there would be no payment increase, solicitors are even more angry and more determined to take action.

Brighton solicitor Andrew Bishop said lawyers around the country were furious. Reading solicitors had announced similar industrial action and others around Sussex may follow suit.

He said: "Many firms simply cannot afford to implement the changes. The Government has taken us for granted for too long."

Mr Bishop said he was concerned that if the legal aid system collapsed the Government might appoint public defenders, similar to the "disastrous" system in America.