STAFF at Basildon Crown Court have wished a popular judge a happy retirement.

Lawyers, clerks, ushers, prosecutors, probation workers, witness service officials, cleaners and security staff joined all the court’s judges to say farewell to His Honour Michael Brooke QC.

Judge Brooke was called to the bar in November 1968, and enjoyed a glittering career as a barrister with a “glossy practice” specialising in medical cases, before becoming a circuit judge in Basildon six years ago.

Basildon’s resident Judge, Christopher Mitchell, told the gathering his colleague’s abilities meant he could easily have ended up at the High Court, had he not chosen to work “on the front line” in Basildon.

He spoke of Judge Brooke’s passion for trains, his love of all things French and the linguistic skills which once shocked a Russian defendant when the judge answered him fluently in his native tongue.

Judge Brooke will continue to sit as a part-time deputy circuit judge, but is hoping to spend time taking his motorised barge around Scandanavia with his wife, Mireille.

Judge Mitchell joked: “We look forward to the day he brings his boat up the Thames and into Pitsea Creek!”

Lawyer John Dodd said unlike others in his profession, no one could ever find a bad word to say about Judge Brooke He added that the judge’s passion for cycling made him “the envy of the judicial bike rack”,.

Addressing the room in his customary sentencing style, Judge Brooke replied to the tributes, declaring: “Stand up please... my decision is I would like to thank you all for the past six years of my life – and, if you sit down, I’ll explain why.”

He went on to give warm thanks to all those with whom he he had worked with at the court, before being presented with a gift and a card.