Aylesbury's historic crown court building has been closed ahead of plans to turn it into a hotel. 

The Grade II* listed Old County Hall - which was where many crown court cases from High Wycombe and surrounding areas were heard - closed yesterday, with the court moving to the site of the magistrates' court on Walton Street. 

The historic building has been the focal point of Aylesbury's Market Square for nearly 300 years, having opened in 1740. 

Arguably the most famous trial heard at the court building was the 1964 Great Train Robbery case. 

Fifteen men stole £2.6 million from a train travelling from Glasgow to London on August 8, 1963.

Eleven of the men were sentenced to between 20 and 30 years in prison at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Bucks County Council - which owns the building - has plans to turn it into a "stunning" new hotel in the town. 

A spokesman said: "Potentially opening from 2020, and subject to the necessary planning approvals, the history and magnificence of the building could be reflected and preserved through a sympathetic conversion to a new hotel complex.

"As an options appraisal shows the building would not be suitable for many types of development, a hotel is seen as a fitting way of preserving the character and heritage of such historic premises for generations to come."