Labour Set to Close City Centre Police Station

11.11.12am GMT Sun 24th Jan 2010

The city centre is set to lose its only police station at Bootle Street.

Labour police bosses are planning to axe the only city centre police station at Bootle Street as part of a huge cost cutting exercise. Plans revealed last week at a meeting of the Labour dominated Police Authority, will lead to the closure of the only police station in the city centre at Bootle Street, and transferred to a new facility in Newton Heath - nearly 4 miles away.

Lib Dem City Centre Councillors have slammed decision, saying that Manchester's city centre needs it's own dedicated police station.

"Bootle Street Police Station has not been fit for purpose for some time, but we need a dedicated police station in the city centre to be able to respond quickly to situations", said Councillor Marc Ramsbottom.

"As well as over 15,000 residents, thousands of people use the city centre every day, it has the highest crime rate, and we need a major police presence in city centre. The substitution of a police station for an enquiry desk is not good enough, and I have written to the Chief Constable to express concerns about these plans", he added.

Newton Heath and Grey Mare Lane police stations are also set to close. The police authority said the police stations will to be disposed of "when market conditions are more favourable".