U-turn on police selfie desk after concerns

A notice said "short staffing" was the reason for reduced opening hours

A police desk where suspects were asked to take photos of themselves to prove they were complying with bail conditions should resume regular opening hours in mid-November, a police force has said.

Staff shortages mean the front desk at the police hub in Corby has only opened two days a week since June.

Local Labour MP Lee Barron said he held a "constructive" meeting with Northamptonshire Police about the reduced hours after he previously said the situation made "a mockery of the judicial system".

The force said until hours were increased "there are multiple alternative ways in which the public can contact the police".

Labour's Lee Barron said the situation was "ridiculous"

In 2017, officers in the town moved from a police station to a space within the Corby Cube, a council building.

Opening has been restricted to Tuesday and Thursday because of what the force called a shortage of staff.

Barron, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, said a notice gave instructions to "bail signers" - suspects who are given bail with a condition that they report regularly to a police station.

They were told to ring 101, or "take a photo on your phone proving yourself as being at the front desk".

Barron became the MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire in July

Barron met Assistant Chief Constable Adam Ward to raise concerns and said the meeting was "good and constructive".

He was told new staff had been recruited, but were waiting for security clearance.

There was "no criticism of the police, this is about resources", he added.

Barron said even when previous opening hours resumed, a desk on the second floor of a building was "not good enough" and left a "perception that no-one is here".

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “We anticipate that the front desk at the Corby Cube will resume its normal hours of opening in mid-November, when the first new member of staff will have gone through an expedited vetting process and received the relevant training.

“In the meantime, there are multiple alternative ways in which the public can contact the police including by calling 101, visiting another front desk, speaking to a member of staff on live chat, or reporting online.

“The space we have allocated on the second floor is provided by the local authority and is situated next to the public access council desks.”