Police move ahead with plan to slash station opening hours

While senior police officers wouldn't comment on the issue ahead of an official announcement next week, the Times has learnt that from September 1, Ballyclare station will only be open to the public for two hours each week, while Newtownabbey's police headquarters on the Shore Road will be shut at nights.

Moves to cut station opening hours were due to go ahead earlier this year, but were put on hold amid an outcry from District Policing Partnership members and politicians about a lack of consultation on the proposals.

However, following talks between senior PSNI figures and local representatives, it seems the planned cuts will now go ahead.

From September 1, the enquiry office at Ballyclare station will be open to the public for routine business on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7pm to 8pm only.

It is understood that the recent relocation of the Explosives Escort Unit away from the Ballynure Road barracks has made it "unnecessary and unviable" to man the station 24 hours a day.

From the same date, the enquiry office at Newtownabbey station will be closed to members of the public for routine business such as producing driving documents between 11pm and 8am. Security personnel will be on duty throughout the night to provide assistance to anyone calling at the station in an emergency situation.

Police chiefs say that research has shown that only a very small number of people actually call at the station at nights. They claim the changes are being made at both stations to "maximise resources" and free up additional officers for front-line policing duties.

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