Rural police link falls foul of cuts

A police mobile rural contact point is due to stop operating from tomorrow after funding was withdrawn because of budget cuts.

The bus, based at Newark Police Station, toured Newark, Sherwood and Bassetlaw, offering a police station to villages.

The service was paid for by Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottinghamshire Police, with Newark and Sherwood and Bassetlaw district councils contributing to a lesser extent, but the funding has been withdrawn.

Nottinghamshire Police Authority was yesterday expected to ratify the decision to axe the service.

The bus cost £52,000 a year and has operated for three years in its current form. A lesser service operated since 2001.

Elston was among the parishes that benefited.

The chairman of the parish council, Mr Alan Rabjohn, said: “It’s a great shame. People did use it. Folks used to go along and do what people used to do in the old days — see the village policeman and let them know what was going on. We will miss it.”

In Thurgarton, however, the parish council clerk, Mr John Holland, didn’t think the service was well used there.

“People tend to pick up the phone or use the internet, so I’m unsurprised to hear it’s being axed. It can’t have been cost-effective,” he said.

His views were echoed by the divisional commander for Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, Chief Superintendent Dave Wakelin.

He said: “The service cannot be deemed cost effective to the public purse given the running costs of the vehicle in terms of staff, fuel, maintenance and pence per mile charges versus the number of people accessing the service.

“I am confident that our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are now well established and can fill the gap left by this service.”

The loss of the rural contact point comes as the county council must find £28.7m in savings from next year’s budget.

A spokesman for the council said: “All parts of the public sector are faced with tough choices.”

Nottinghamshire Police face budget cuts of an estimated £45m over the next three years.

The parishes in the Advertiser area affected are: North and South Muskham, Kneesall, Norwell, Cromwell, Fiskerton, Bleasby, Thurgarton, Upton, Hockerton, North and South Clifton, Farnsfield, Harby, Oxton, Thorney, Epperstone, South Scarle, Lowdham, Elston, Syerston, Gunthorpe, Caythorpe, Hoveringham, Besthorpe, Winthorpe, Barnby-in-the-Willows, Coddington, East Markham, Dunham-on-Trent, Sutton-on-Trent, Carlton-on-Trent, East Drayton, Edwinstowe, Eakring, Walesby, Wellow, Egmanton, Kirton, Laxton, Weston, Barnby Moor, Bothamsall and Elksley.

A further 23 other parishes, mostly in Bassetlaw, lose the service too.