ON THE BEAT

From January 8, the station will be open to callers from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday and until 6pm on Sundays.

Currently the station is open from 8am to midnight or 1am on certain days.

The city's recently-appointed police chief says the closure will allow him to put officers back on the beat at the busiest times of the day.

At the moment officers are regularly tied up dealing with enquiries at the counter, said Inspector Chris May.

It is the second time the North Walls station has reduced its opening hours. In 1995 they were cut from 24 hours a day to 18 hours, from 7am to 1am.

Insp May said a six-week survey of the station between 8pm and midnight showed that on average only one person an hour called in. He added that the current system caused operational difficulties.

"When civilian staff are away, police officers have to take over. That takes them away from street duty," he said.

The civilian staff freed from evening duty will augment the staffing during the day when the front counter is at its busiest.

Insp May said: "I am making the best use of my staff. This will enable me to keep another officer on the street rather than manning the front counter."

He said the locked front door did not mean the station was unmanned. "Police are still available. People just have to pick up the phone and they will be directed to a police officer in the operations room."

Insp May said he hoped the move would not be controversial. "We did a similar exercise in Petersfield. There was some comment when it was first mooted but it has caused no problems at all."