Devon and Cornwall Police front desks closing

The enquiry desk in Bude is one of six being closed in Cornwall

Eleven police frontline desks are closing on Friday as a cost-saving measure, Devon and Cornwall Police say.

Assistant Chief Constable Russ Middleton said the closure of the police enquiry offices was "a difficult decision" but it would save the force about £760,000 a year.

The desk closures - part of a total of 12 being carried out, six per county - would see 27 jobs cut, the force said.

Actual police stations were not closing, ACC Middleton said.

The force must reduce spending by £51m by 2015 because of government cuts.

'Public access'

ACC Middleton said the force currently received about a million contacts a year from the public via the 999 and 101 telephone numbers, the police enquiry centre and its website.

"This number far outweighs the amount of people actually attending a police station," he said.

He said, even at peak times in busy stations, only up to six people an hour came in and quieter stations had long periods without any visitors.

The force said desks at Barnstaple, Exeter Heavitree Road, Plymouth Charles Cross, Plymouth Crownhill and Torquay in Devon would remain open, as would enquiry desks in Camborne, Truro, Bodmin and St Austell.

The force added no stations were closing and they would "remain operational police bases, which will still see the public having access to police officers and staff by appointment".

One desk in Honiton, Devon, closed in August.

Closures in Cornwall:

• Bude

• Falmouth

• Launceston

• Liskeard

• Newquay

• Penzance

Closures in Devon:

• Exmouth

• Honiton (closed in August)

• Newton Abbot

• Okehampton

• Tiverton

• Totnes