Battle Observer Comment: More police officers will be based at Battle

Response officers, who are currently based at Bexhill and Rye police stations, will be moved to Battle in the autumn.

Sussex Police says this should have no effect on how long it takes officers to answer 999 calls as they will be mobile throughout the district.

Basically Battle police station will be where the response officers clock on and off.

The move has upset Bexhillians, who fear their police station could be reduced to little more than offices.

Bexhill police station will not only see the removal of response officers but also CID officers, who will move to a hub in Hastings.

After the station’s opening hours were slashed earlier in the year, the news that Battle is to become a ‘hub’ for response officers can only be a good thing for the town.

Hopefully it will give the town’s station some degree of protection against further reductions in opening hours or the threat of being downgraded in the future.

* It was a privilege to once again be asked to judge a category at the Battle and District Art Group’s annual exhibition this week.

It proved a very difficult task, with some extraordinary pieces of artwork on display.

The exhibition runs until August 6, so why not see for yourself?