Concern over plan to close police custody centre

Plans from Devon and Cornwall Police could lead to the closure of the custody centre in Torquay

Legal professionals are warning against plans to close a police custody centre due to concerns it could strain resources.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the closure of Torquay's custody suite and temporary redeployment of staff was being considered on a pilot basis as part of a review into the force's estate.

However, the plan sparked concerns in south Devon with a group of solicitors and legal advisers writing to Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez to urge a reversal of the move.

Chief Constable James Vaughan said no decision had been made on the proposals.

Along with Torquay, the force has custody centres in Camborne, Newquay, Plymouth, Exeter and Barnstaple.

It said the review aimed to explore improvements which could be made to "secure consistency of custody services, strengthen detainee safety and control costs".

A police spokesperson said "no firm answer" had been reached about how long the pilot closure would be or when it would start.

Defence solicitor Nigel Butt said the prospect of the town's police officers having to use other centres further away was worrying and could leave the area "dangerously exposed".

Defence solicitor Nigel Butt warned police officers would be off the town's streets for longer

Mr Butt said: "Officers who carry out the arrests will be off the beat because they'll be transporting people to and from Exeter.

"When they get to Exeter, they'll then have to book them in and that can be a long process.

"They might be in Exeter three times longer than they would be if they were taking them to Torquay."

Steve Darling, Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, said any closure would be a "real challenge" for those involved in the justice system.

"But equally it's going to shrink the level of support for our communities in Torbay with our uniformed officers having to be on the road to Exeter or to Plymouth," he said.

Devon and Cornwall Police has five other custody suites in Exeter, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Camborne and Newquay

Mr Vaughan said the current set-up presented "strategic and operational challenges" and created a health and safety risk for detainees and staff.

He said operating costs were exceeding budgets and further "costly improvements" were needed at some custody suites.

"A final decision has yet to be made with proposals being discussed and carefully considered in force this week and the PCC will be kept fully informed of our plans," he said.

Hernandez said she was aware of the plan being considered in Torquay as part of a wider review.

"The findings from the review will be used by my office to inform decisions about the investment of taxpayers' money to ensure buildings comply with safety regulations," she said.