TWO police stations in the area are set to reopen with a third on its way soon as part of a £2 million plan, Hampshire's police and crime commissioner has announced.

Stations in Totton and Park Gate are set to be reopened in 2024 while a brand-new station is to be opened in the centre of Eastleigh in 2025.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said the reopenings will drive up police visibility and make officers more accessible to the public.

It comes 12 years after 18 stations were closed and sold off by the force - bringing in £48m by 2017. 

Some stations were already set for reopening to help deal with a Home Office-funded recruitment drive for police officers.

In 2010 there were 152 constables per 100,000 population in Hampshire. Latest Home Office figures show there are now 133 constables per 100,000 in the county.

Mrs Jones said: “We have been working to make Southampton and Hampshire the safest county to work and visit in the country.

“The reopening of these stations means that residents feel safer in their communities but also that they have local places to speak to officers, report crimes, get updates and share information."

The station set to open in Eastleigh will have its own CID team and dedicated detectives to get to understand the local community.

Mrs Jones said that with dedicated and committed detectives they will be able to get to know the criminals in the area and secure convictions.

The new openings are part of a plan to reopen 10 police stations to the public across the county.

Hampshire Constabulary currently has 13 police stations that are open to the public. These are a mixture of full-time opening hours and part-time opening.

The other stations will be in Cowes, Portsmouth Central, Petersfield, Ryde, Yateley, Cosham and Gosport.

Mrs Jones said that when she was elected in 2021, she made a pledge to increase the number of officers and drive up police visibility in Hampshire.

Miss Jones has also recruited 650 extra police officers in her commitment to bring back “Local Bobbies” to every community.

She said: “Local bobbies are officers on the ground that are dedicated to a local community and its people.

"It is about seeing faces and knowing your local officer on a first-name basis – that is how you build trust in a community and make them feel safe.”

Major plans to refurbish Southampton Central remain on hold, it's understood.