Hampshire PCC Donna Jones has announced that Portsmouth Central Police Station will be reopened to the public.

Hampshire PCC Donna Jones is the latest to start funding the reopening of front desks after a spate of closures across England and Wales between 2015 and 2021.

PCC Jones has dedicated £2 million of her 2023-24 budget to re-opening “a number of front counters” to the public.

The first has been confirmed as Portsmouth Central Police Station which closed in 2019 following the opening of a new police investigation centre.

Refitting work is now taking place at the station which is due to reopen by autumn.

The Commissioner has further stopped the sale of Gosport police station and is instead aiming to reopen it with a front desk.

Meanwhile a new police station is set to open in Petersfield town centre, while there are also ambitions on the Isle of Wight.

PCC Jones said: “The public have told me they want more police stations, more police officers and more visibility of the police.

"By reopening these police stations for public access I’m delivering on my promises to the public and helping to bring communities and the police closer together.

“The Chief Constable and I are committed to strengthening neighbourhood policing and increasing police visibility."

Chief Constable Scott Chilton added: “My officers want to cut crime and make places like Portsmouth, Gosport and other communities across Hampshire & Isle of Wight a hostile environment for criminals. Being visible and more accessible to the public is a crucial part of that.

"The plans for Portsmouth announced by the Commissioner today have my full support and, together with 650 extra officers and our commitment to have a named police officer in every community, show that we mean business.”

The decision taken by PCC Jones follows similar moves made elsewhere, specifically in Devon and Cornwall where her counterpart Alison Hernandez has been steadily reopening desks in recent months.

Six have already reopened - in Newton Abbot, Tiverton, Penzance, Truro, Falmouth and Bude - while in January PCC Hernandez announced plans to reopen a further six.