West Yorkshire Police help desk closures put public at risk, says union

Leeds Central police station is among six stations where help desks had already closed, according to the GMB union

Plans to close police station help desks across West Yorkshire will "put the public at risk", a union has said.

Six public help desks have already shut in the region, with further closures possible at other stations, according to the GMB union.

People needing to attend a police station "would find the doors locked" if the proposals were implemented, a union spokesperson said.

The force said anyone needing help would be responded to appropriately.

In a statement, the union said help desks at police stations in Wakefield, Pontefract, Leeds Central, Todmorden, Keighley and Stainbeck had closed.

The union said remaining stations were on reduced hours or faced closure.

GMB organiser Rachel Dix said to consider removing "this important access to support" was "criminal in itself"

GMB organiser Rachel Dix said: "The steady erosion of this vital service, even before consultation to bring about changes commenced, is very wrong."

Ms Dix said people attending a police station would instead be "directed to a yellow telephone near to the entrance where they would be put through to a contact centre".

She added: "Many of these phones are reported broken which does not generate confidence in the service members of the public are likely to be left with."

The union said police support staff who run the help desks were set to lose up to £2,300 in wages if the plans go ahead.

'Focused consultation'

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said the force had "been reviewing the public help desk provision" across its five policing districts.

In a statement, it said a "focused consultation with affected staff on the proposed changes" had concluded and would be "presented to the Chief Officer Team for consideration".

The statement added: "The force will keep colleagues and the public updated along with ensuring that any call for service is appropriately responded to when people are in need of help."