THE custody suite at Poole police station will effectively close this summer as part of ongoing £18million cost-cutting measures, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Bournemouth’s recently-opened station on Madeira Road, which boasts 34 new cells, will serve as the primary custody suite for the conurbation as Dorset Police Authority continues working to reduce costs by the next financial year.

Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Stanger insists Poole’s 24 cells will be kept in a permanent state of readiness for occasions when there is likely to be high demand.

The chief superintendent says this decision enables the county force to maintain strength in frontline patrolling and safer neighbourhood teams.

He said: “A significant reduction in crime levels and consequent arrests have allowed us to explore this option and a detailed review is being carried out to determine whether this arrangement is the best option for the longer term.

“The decision will allow us to increase staffing levels at the Bournemouth custody suite and this will make us more efficient in terms of processing detainees.

“Our aim is to reduce the time that arresting officers need to spend in the custody suite, freeing them up to get back on patrol.”

Poole’s state-of-the art joint emergency services building opened in December 2009.

Only the custody suite is affected by the changes – the Wimborne Road building will continue to operate as Poole’s main police base and open for members of the public.

Det Chf Supt Stanger explained: “The decision to alter our custody arrangements will enable us to make significant financial savings and avoids the need to reduce resources in other important areas such as patrol and safer neighbourhood teams.

“Due to the financial situation we find ourselves in, this change is absolutely necessary.

“It is part of a wider programme of change being implemented by the force to save £18m over the next four years while maintaining and, wherever possible, improving our overall capability.”

Bournemouth’s new police station, which took 21 months to build, opened late last year.

Its 34 cells replaced the 18 cells in the old police station opposite in Madeira Road.