POLICE have confirmed that there are no plans to shut down Callington Police Station — despite the station enquiry office closing this week and response officers being taken away.

The station has suffered long periods of reduced officer numbers over the past few years. It has been back up to full complement recently, but is now set to lose its response base, with officers having to travel from Liskeard or Launceston to attend to emergency incidents.

The changes are part of a package of cuts by the Devon and Cornwall police authority designed to save £50-million over the next four years. There are concerns in Callington that this is the thin end of the wedge and the station will be the next to close.

But East Cornwall superintendent Julie Whitmarsh said this week: 'As a result of the changes the response team will now be based at Liskeard, which will reduce the number of staff working from Callington.

'However, it is now even more important than ever that we keep our local policing teams based in the communities that they serve and the neighbourhood officers and PCSOs will remain working from the station.

'Over recent years the local policing team at Callington has built strong and effective links with the local communities and key partners and it is of vital importance that we maintain these links in the future, through the locally based officers.'

The neighbourhood team consists of a sergeant, two constables and two PCSOs, but Sgt Brett Philips, who heads the neighbourhood team, will also be covering Saltash and is expected to be overseeing an area stretching from Torpoint to Bude.

Sgt Phillips said that with the cuts being enforced policing the Callington area, which includes the parishes of Calstock, Stoke Climsland, South Hill and parts of St Dominick, Linkinhorne and St Ive, would be 'challenging'.

'I am concerned, it is going to be challenging but the blueprint has been carefully thought out by senior officers and they are confident it is going to work,' he said.

Callington is one of 34 station enquiry offices to close as a result of cuts. The force said it could no longer justify keeping them open, as most people now used other means of communicating to report crime.

Rosemarie Hill, who has been station enquiry officer at Callington for 14 years, said she dealt with everything from the production of driving licences, hit-and-run accidents and minor crime reports to the administration of the whole station, lost property and general help and advice.

She said: 'There are a lot of things that people do not want to talk about on the phone, like incidents of domestic violence or abused children. They want a listening ear and a friendly face. People are devastated that the office is closing.

'I think in many cases people will not use the phone and certainly when it comes to property that is found if they cannot fit it in the letterbox at the police station here they will just bin it.

'There will be no local knowledge anymore, all the calls will go through the switchboard and people will get frustrated.'

County councillor for Callington Andrew Long is urging Devon and Cornwall chief constable Stephen Otter to re-think what he said was 'a dangerous move'.

'I would like him to come and talk to representatives in the town to explain just how he thinks that these changes will continue to safeguard the tax-paying members of the local community,' he said.

A police spokesperson said members of the public would still be able to make appointments to speak to police officers at the local station and could use the telephone on the wall outside the station in emergencies.