Ten Hampshire and Isle of Wight police stations to reopen

Police and crime commissioner Donna Jones said she had been 'prudent' with the police budget, which meant the force could purchase new buildings

Several police stations are set to reopen to the public, a decade after many were closed as part of public sector austerity cuts.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner Donna Jones set aside £2m to reinstate 10 front desks in the two counties.

Ms Jones said it would "drive up police visibility".

Those due to reopen include Portsmouth Central, Totton Park Gate and Ryde.

New bases will also be opened in West Cowes, Petersfield, Eastleigh and Cosham over the next two years.

The PCC said the scheme meant people would be able to walk into police premises and report a crime in every district across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.Their opening times will be determined based on local demand.

Portsmouth Central station is one of the stations reopening under the proposal

The force closed 28 front offices in 2014 as public sector cuts, imposed by the coalition government following the financial crisis of 2007-8, meant it needed to save between £40m and £50m.

But Ms Jones said police budgets had increased over the past three years, which meant she was able to "save up" to buy new police buildings and reopen front counters.

She said the public had asked for more police visibility on the streets.

"People feel disconnected - they feel that if they report a crime the police won't do anything ... so what's the point?

"My decision to reopen these stations that have been closed for a number of years ... to buy new premises and convert them into police stations and to open front counters is really to connect the public back to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary," she added.

The force will recruit station enquiry officers to speak to the public, allowing police officers to focus on front line duties. 

An extra 650 police officers have also been recruited and Ms Jones said she would introduce named "Local Bobbies" to areas by December.

Hampshire Police Federation called it a "step in the right direction" but raised concerns about the amount of time it would take to implement the changes.

"The cuts to policing over the past decade have damaged policing and made it extremely difficult for police officers to give the best service they want to give to the public.

"Police numbers are increasing but all the new officers require time for training which means they are not always available to be deployed," it added.