Chief constable under fire over night closures

The chief constable of the West Midlands found himself in the middle of a bitter row over plans to shut a string of police stations overnight.

The region's police authority attacked the way the public had been consulted over the proposals.

Two protest petitions with a total of nearly 4,000 signatures urging a rethink were handed to the meeting in Birmingham yesterday. The force wants to shut 12 stations – including Wednesfield, Dudley, Stourbridge, Halesowen and Bloxwich – between 6pm and 10pm and redeploy staff to contact centres or front line duties.

The proposal is part of the battle by West Midland Police to save £126 million over the next four years in a bid to manage Government cuts in funding.

Chief Constable Chris Sims maintained this "tremendous response" showed the process was not flawed.

But Wolverhampton councillor Bob Jones, the police authority's finance chief, responded: "I find it difficult to understand how mass petitions and an outcry that the consultation has been totally inadequate can be used as evidence that the process is working."

Magistrate Julia Lyle added: "The public need reassurance that the consultation is not a superficial exercise."

The public consultation deadline has been extended from December 31 until January 15.

Dudley North MP Ian Austin handed in a 2,000-strong petition, pleading for Dudley police station to be spared. He said: "The signatures were collected in less than a fortnight and this indicates the deep feelings against this proposal."

Another petition with 1,900 signatures calling for Bloxwich police station to stay open 24 hours a day and supported by a letter from Walsall North MP David Winnick was also presented to the committee.

The chief constable suggested minor alterations may be possible but warned: "If we deviate from the core of the proposals I will have to cut something else and that could potentially have a more direct impact on the service we provide."