An impassioned plea by the editor of a news agency which was facing closure appears to have saved the business.

In June, we reported how James Brewster from Strand News, which covers the Royal Courts of Justice in London, wrote to local newspaper newsdesks across the UK appealing for unpaid bills to be actioned straightaway.

James told HTFP the letter worked and, although times continue to be tough, the agency seems to have weathered the storm and staved off the immediate threat of closure.

Strand News has covered the Royal Courts of Justice for the past 20 years and is the only agency dedicated to reporting from the High Court and Court of Appeal.

James says the agency has managed to maintain its reporting strength and newspapers will continue to receive reports on civil and criminal cases relevant to their circulation areas.

He said: “The letter we wrote to news editors had a very positive response.

“I think many people realised that effective news gathering from the Royal Courts of Justice is something which the media in general cannot afford to lose.

“Business is still very tough, as one would expect, but I now feel that we will be able to ride out the storm.

“The past 18 months have undoubtedly been the toughest of Strand News’ 20-year history and I am obviously relieved that we will be able to continue with our work.

“We, like everyone else, are hoping that the worst of the recession is in the past and we are delighted that so many of our customers realised, even in the midst of the gloom, that a core news gathering service like Strand News was worth supporting.

“I would like to thank all those very many customers who responded so well.”