On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:59:08 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Steve Firth wrote:
Loads closed around here. We haven't had a copper in the village since
the 1980s nearest police station was six miles away now that has closed.
All the coppers in the nearest market town were removed from duty and
within a few weeks the place saw a murder in the street and a series of
bank/shop robberies.

Some time ago my car got damaged while parked and of course I had to
report it for the 'crime number' or whatever. I drove more than 6 miles
round London before finding a station I could do this at. Of course with
an intimate knowledge of police stations I could have gone straight to the
one which was open and isn't six miles away. But I made the mistake of
trying to use ones I'd been to before.

It's a national problem. You may recall my grumble about a fireman misusing
the blue lights on his car to overtake me. I complained to the police about
it, I wanted to complain at the nearest town (which I don't know well).
This is a sizeable place and it has a police station which I had seen open.
Indeed on the night in question it was open for business with cars arriving
and departing. But the door was locked and the only facility for the public
was a yellow telephone to one side of the door.

I went to the police station because the police tell me they don't take
telephone complaints seriously, only complaints made in person.