There was drinking in the cells and cheese and wine in the courtroom as the mayor’s charity fundraiser took over the empty Kingston Magistrates’ Court for a night.

Wine experts from Waitrose put the bottles on trial as witnesses for the defence, with guests dotted around the historic chambers, including the dock, giving their verdicts.

At half-time donors, who had given money to the mayor’s charities, Yorda Adventures, Kingston Carers Network and Community Brain toured the abandoned cells.

Steve Theodosiou, 40, department manager at Waitrose Surbiton said his favourite wine was La Jalousie.

Mayor Councillor Mary Heathcote, whose driver Harry Kempson also donned judicial ceremonial robes, said: “Because of good behaviour I was allowed out.”

Coun Heathcote said her next venue might be a Burns Night in the Territorial Army mess in Portsmouth Road.