Police station re-opens to the public after a decade

Sam Siddall, of Edlington Community Organisation, Maureen Tennison, of Edlington Royal Tenants and Residents Association, Lynn Brookes, of Edlington Community Organisation, Insp Dan McKnight, Council officer Steve Thomas, and council officer John Davies, at Edlington Police Station. PIcture: David Kessen

Edlington Police Station is open to the public again - 12 years after the closure of its front desk was announced.

But the site, on Main Avenue, will only be open to the public two days a week, and will serve more as a hub for various community services than a conventional police station.

It always remained open for officers to use as a base, but the public has not been able to use it to contact officers.

Michelle Hudson on police horse Treeton, and Julie Bradshaw on police horse Cubley, in Edlington. PIcture: David Kessen

The venue's first day in its new guise saw a number of visitors dropping in on a day which coincided with the start of an action scheme to tidy up some of the village's empty and derelict buildings.

Police officers, Doncaster Council officers, tenants and residents association representatives, St Leger Homes staff and community centre officials were all in the building for the first day.

Insp Dan McKnight, the neighbourhood inspector for Doncaster West, said: "We think it is good to have the different organisations together, and it is good to have a visible footprint in the community.

"We are encouraging the community to engage with us. The only way to solve issues in the area is through dialogue with members of the public.

"Over the last few years the police station has been used as a forward operating base, but from the community perspective it has been closed. People can now report crime here, but we would encourage them to ring 101 or 999 in an emergency, as it is not open every day and we would not want people leaving it several days to report crime."

Residents will be able to report non-crime issues to the other agencies which will be at the police station, and officials expect the move to enable them to work together better by being in the same place.

The opening day also saw a rise in high visibility policing in the former mining village, which has seen action stepped up by agencies following concerns over levels of crime and antisocial behaviour in and around its Royal estate over the last two years.

Residents are still concerned about the issue.

The opening day for the new role saw mounted police on the streets, as well as off-road biking teams dealing with nuisance bikers.