MANSFIELD WOODHOUSE: Readers critical of police station closure plan

Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping takes a walk around Mansfield Town Centre on Monday with Inspector Neil Williams, Safer Neighbourhood Inspector for Mansfield South to see how crime can be tackled

Costing an initial £1.3m to build and expected to sell for not more than £425,000 in current market conditions, the decision has been branded a ‘waste of money’ by some readers.

Commenting on the Chad’s Facebook page, reader Ann-Marie Graham, said: “What was the point in building it if it’s to close? A waste of money again.”

Lee Taylor added: “Well that would be a waste of our money again but who am I to say? They wouldn’t listen to our voice anyway.”

Meanwhile, reader Tara Knight, told Chad: “It wasn’t that long ago they spent an absolute fortune building it.

“Instead of closing it, they should stick some cells in it, I could never understand why they spent that much on a station with no cells anyway, put someone on the front desk, actually open it occasionally and use it as a proper police station instead of a part-time office.”

Other readers also complained that the police station had been under-used since it opened six years ago.

Nat Robin said: “It’s always closed in the evening which is a bit crazy as the police have to come from other stations when you need them.

“It is more like a police car pound and somewhere for them to just sit down in. Maybe it should become a police call centre to take the stress from Mansfield.”

Forest Town resident Terry Topliss said that when his local station closed it had a massive impact on the community.

He said: “When our police station closed, anti-social behaviour and vandalism became a problem. Plus response time lengthened and police presence reduced - so you can see it does not improve local policing.”