The firm of Ross Harper Solicitors asked local company Hannay Fraser to appear on their behalf - despite an earlier instruction from Sheriff John Herald that the Glasgow-based company should be personally represented at the hearing.

The sheriff had previously continued the case of 20-year-old James Kerr on a charge of driving without insurance, with an instruction that his principal solicitors should appear in person on Monday to defend their client.

But on being told for a second time by solicitor Jim Hannay that the company was unable to be present, Sheriff Herald said: "I'm not having that. I don't care what Ross Harper think, I know what I think.

"They are a massive Glasgow firm, with umpteen lawyers, and they just don't want to come to Rothesay.

"Well, they will come - and I will have words for them."

The sheriff was at first minded to ask Ross Harper to appear in person this coming Monday, March 8, but agreed to a request from the firm, passed on by Mr Hannay, for a March 15 date instead.

The sheriff also apologised to the accused for the delay to the case, but warned him: "They had better be here on the 15th or, quite bluntly, I will issue a warrant for your solicitor's arrest.

"They are happy to take the business - they're just not happy to take the inconvenience."

In a statement, the company said: "Ross Harper have, as always, acted entirely and completely professionally and appropriately in this case, and the sheriff will be addressed accordingly at Rothesay Sheriff Court on March 15, 2010."

Monday's hearing is not the first time Sheriff Herald has criticised law firms based on the mainland for being unwilling to travel to Rothesay to represent their clients in person.

In 2003, he accused them of treating Rothesay as "some hick court that they do not need to pay any attention to" after another Glasgow firm contacted Hannay Fraser on the morning of a trial to ask them to act as local agents.