WE will fight for our police station.

That’s the pledge from Wimborne Town councillors shocked by a threat to their station’s counter service.

The two staff who run the counter have been told their jobs are at risk under the review, which could see members of the public forced to travel to Dorset Police’s Eastern Division headquarters in Ferndown to report a crime face to face.

Wimborne mayor Cllr Robin Cook said the councillors were ‘angry’ at the prospect of losing the ‘invaluable’ service.

They have voiced their concerns to Mid-Dorset and North Poole MP Annette Brooke, North Dorset MP Bob Walter and Christchurch MP Chris Chope, arguing that any cut will have a wide impact.

Cllr Cook said: “We’re dismayed and angry. This seems to be a desktop exercise that doesn’t really reflect the situation on the ground. The police have always said they will protect front line services.

“Our counter staff are part of that. To lose them would be a tragic loss for the people of Wimborne.”

Cllr Cook is seeking ‘urgent talks’ with the Dorset Police Authority.

“If this goes ahead the people of Wimborne will be disadvantaged,” he said. “There has been a huge effort to get great CCTV coverage in the town, which makes us wonder if this is the thin end of the wedge.

“In the long term, are we looking at the closure of the police station full stop?”

Assistant Chief Constable Mike Glanville said the force was reviewing all its counter services, but no decisions had been made.

He said: “Before we finalise any proposals, detailed work is being carried out to assess the impact of any cuts on policing services and to ensure that as far as possible we do everything we can to mitigate any changes to our service.

“We remain committed to providing the best possible service to local communities in Dorset and ensuring that the public are able to contact us easily is a high priority.”