Get the biggest stories sent straight to your inbox Sign up for regular updates and breaking news from WalesOnline Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

POLICE stations and other buildings used by the force across Bridgend could close as part of a cost-cutting drive.

South Wales Police want to close seven of the 19 bases it uses across the Central Division, with a further four sites also under “review” – a move a retired detective sergeant claims will result in “anarchy on the streets”.

According to an internal police document, leases will be surrendered at Pontycymmer, Bridgend Bus Station, Bryntirion Junior School, Cwrt Gwalia, Nantymoel Club and Tremains Junior School.

The four sites being reviewed by the force are at Pyle, Pencoed, Caerau and Coychurch.

Also under review was the force’s headquarters in Bridgend, which has annual running costs of more than £2.1m.

The original Estates Strategy, published in 2008, said the HQ had not been upgraded “for decades” and was “strewn across” a 17-acre site.

Experts stressed no final decisions had been made.

Retired detective sergeant Arthur Cole, who worked with the force for 31 years, said the closures would alienate the public.

He told the Gazette: “In the 1990s, police officers were positioned so they could be at a scene within minutes.

“Crime has increased, yet stations are shutting. We have to get the bobbies back on the beat.

“I don’t know what’s going wrong but this will not work and it’s down to policies and strategies coming from high-flying officers who come through the ranks very quickly and don’t understand that policing the Valleys is very different to policing towns and cities.

“If they carry on like this, it’s going to end in anarchy on the streets and I think the more stations they close the further they alienate the good general public from the police.”

Bethan Jenkins, Plaid Cymru regional AM said the Bridgend cuts were “disappointing”.

She said: “Local, public access to the police is an important safeguard in maintaining public confidence and enabling effective communication.

“People living in the communities affected appreciate having a visible police presence in their communities and these local stations will be sorely missed.”

Deputy chief constable Colette Paul said the decision to relocate the HQ elsewhere was deferred due to the economic climate and cuts to the budget.

The Estates Strategy document, which was updated in January and obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, also says smaller premises will be required at Llantwit Major and Porthcawl.

In Central Division, which covers the Vale and Bridgend, the force’s property estate has a maintenance backlog of £1.4m, the papers reveal.

DCC Paul said that as part of an ongoing review of the police estate, the force was consulting with partners and communities on police buildings identified as not fit for purpose.

She said: “Local policing in the heart of our communities is key to our service delivery and this won’t change. We are changing the way we work so we can become a more modern and effective service.”