THE CID department in Tavistock has moved to Plymouth as part of Devon and Cornwall Constabulary's plans to save £50-million over the next four years — but it is another blow to the station, which saw its public enquiry office close last month.

The town's three detective constables have been relocated to Charles Cross and Crownhill police stations and Det Sgt Martin Gleed, who will take early retirement in two months, one of the 700 officers to do so as part of the cost-cutting plan, will not be replaced.

For more than three decades there has been a CID department at Tavistock but it will now be part of Plymouth, together with departments from Saltash, Ivybridge and Torpoint. From now on CID investigations will be functional rather than geographic and there will no longer be officers dedicated to specific areas.

Det Sgt Gleed, who joined Tavistock 17 years ago as a detective sergeant, said he wanted to reassure the public that crime would still be investigated in Tavistock but local investigators would now be based at Plymouth.

'CID is being centralised and investigators will go wherever they are needed. It is part of these extraordinary savings that have to be made.

'Victims of crime will still have the same service and investigations of crime will continue as normal but it is inevitable that some local knowledge and local expertise will be lost. Only time will tell whether this is a good or bad move.'

Det Sgt Gleed said the good news was that Tavistock would still be a base or 'hub' for response officers and retain a neighbourhood policing team.

Other local officers spoke of their disappointment that the knowledge gained through having officers based in a town — which amounted to around 80 years of experience between the CID team —would go. This ranged from being aware of active criminals, following patterns and talking to other members of staff on a day to day basis.

Tavistock police station enquiry office was one of 34 in Devon and Cornwall to close to save money. The force said other forms of communicating with the police like the telephone and internet had lessened the demand for public enquiry offices, many of which saw a very low footfall.

Okehampton CID department will be retained and not merged with Exeter as originally thought.