Portsmouth Central Police Station closure defended by PCC Simon Hayes

The Central Police Station is earmarked for closure with officers moving to refurbished council offices in Guildhall Square.

Police presence in Portsmouth will not be reduced by the planned closure of the city centre police station, Hampshire's police and crime commissioner (PCC) has insisted.

The Central Police Station is earmarked for closure with officers moving to the council offices in Guildhall Square.

Campaigners opposing the plan said it would create a perception of the city being "not a safe place".

PCC Simon Hayes said it was "pedalling a myth" to claim cover would reduce.

Stephen Morgan, who set up an online petition with Labour councillor Yahiya Chowdhury, said the plans to close the station on Winston Churchill Avenue was a "grave threat to community policing".

He said: "A city this size really needs a centrally located police station. People want to see police in a police station, not other public buildings,

"There is a real perception issue - if we lose the last police station in the city, it leads to a perception it's not a safe place to live."

Mr Hayes said the closure was part of attempts to "modernise the policing estate" in Portsmouth.

"It's expensive to run, inefficient to work in and there's not enough space."

"There is no question of the police moving out of the centre of Portsmouth. There will be a front counter, there will be police officers there 24 hours, there will be cars in the car park."

He said 37 potential sites for a new "Investigation Centre" in the city had been identified but none had proved "affordable and in a location we want".