People in Helensburgh and Lomond continue to experience difficulties accessing local police services at Helensburgh Police Station, figures obtained by local MSP Jackie Baillie have shown.

Jackie Baillie used Freedom of Information laws to get Police Scotland to reveal that Helensburgh Police Station has been closed to the public on six occasions between May and July this year. The doors on the East King St station have been locked for hours at a time during its advertised opening hours.

The Helensburgh and Lomond MSP has received a string of complaints from local residents who have been unable to report a crime or hand in documentation because the front-counter was closed. The station is advertised as open to the public from 9am -; 7pm Monday to Thursday and 12pm -; 10pm Friday to Sunday.

Jackie’s investigation has revealed that since the beginning of March the station has been closed on 19 separate occasions, sometimes for whole days at a time. From May until July the front-desk has been unavailable for a total of 19 hours and Jackie Baillie is demanding a clear explanation of the scale of the problem.

Jackie said:

“It is hardly surprising that Police Scotland do not have enough staff to keep our police station open given the scale of the cuts to police budgets in recent years. The number of people working in Scotland’s police service is at its lowest point since the SNP came to power, with 2000 fewer police and civilian staff than in 2010.

“Our local police officers do a difficult job but they need more support and resources from the SNP Government in Edinburgh. People in Helensburgh and Lomond deserve the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their nearest police station is open when they need it and these closures will only serve to undermine public confidence in local policing