Police chief hits back over station closure

Supt John Lacy was responding to businesswoman Janet Berry, who claimed Selby was becoming "lawless".

She said it beggared belief that the police station had shut at night when shops were being targeted regularly by drug-addicted burglars.

Mrs Berry warned that one day soon a situation would arise where a woman was seeking sanctuary and would go to the station only to find no-one there to help.

Supt Lacy, Central Area operations commander, said today: "Everyone is disappointed about the closure, but the very few people who went to the station after 8pm didn't warrant keeping it open at night.

"There are still officers patrolling the town at night, who can be contacted via the centralised call handling centre at York.

"There has been a significant rise in crime in Selby and I share Mrs Berry's concerns, but we haven't got infinite resources and something has to give."

He said the rise in crime had been fuelled by heroin and cocaine on the streets, a problem the police were tackling with more undercover officers.

He added: "We have to fight it, but at the same time some difficult decisions have to be made. Closing the station at night was one of them."

Mrs Berry, who described Supt Lacy's response as "unsatisfactory", also wrote to the Home Office and Selby MP John Grogan.

The Home Office said it was determined to get more police patrolling the streets by reducing paperwork.

Mr Grogan said he shared her frustration about the recent spate of break-ins, but he had every confidence in the local police force.

Mrs Berry told the Evening Press today: "The responses from the Home Office and Mr Grogan amount to nothing more than spin."

Mr Grogan said: "I'm disappointed that Mrs Berry lacks confidence in both the police force and myself, but heartened by recent comments by the Selby district commander, Inspector David Hunt, that tackling burglaries was one of his top priorities."

Updated: 11:37 Monday, January 27, 2003