Rural towns set to lose police teams

Steve Garmston, from Humberside Police Federation, said: “We have been expressing concerns for a number of years that because numbers are going down that it is going to put pressure on the provision of services to less populated areas. Whilst we don’t have the information to suggest it is going to happen, it is consistent with our concerns.”

Superintendent Darren Downs said officers on rural beats were already regularly redeployed: “At this time we have no plans to remove any officers from Driffield police station. However, as cuts to public funding continue across the country, Humberside Police regularly review and assess the locations of police officers to ensure that they are providing the correct level of response in the appropriate areas.”

One police commissioner candidate, Councillor Matthew Grove said he’d welcome any review which helped improve the police’s response: “The police should not be managed for the convenience and comfort of officers, but to ensure the best possible service for residents, many of whom very often receive a crime number and never see a police officer.”