I am dismayed by your report that Halesowen Police station is to close. I am dismayed, but not surprised, the service at the station has been declining for some considerable time.

When we moved into Halesowen in 1963 it was a pleasant small town perched where the Black Country met the Worcestershire countryside. At that time, the town had its own independent borough council, we had our own council house with the attendant easy access to services personnel, shortly after moving in we had our own newly built police station, magistrates court and fire station all of which offered easy access to the services they provided.

All of these contributed in no small measure to the sense of community the town then enjoyed.

All of these have gone or in the case of the police station, is going. We are now subsumed into the large and remote Dudley MBC (although to be fair the local councillors do endeavour to maintain contact with and represent the local community), the fire station and magistrates court have been 'rationalised' into remote facilities well outside of the town and the police station is similarly to be 'rationalised' by moving to Brierley Hill.

How can even a remotely 'local' police presence be provided from so far away?

Only the library remains of the erstwhile self sufficient town we once knew and I fear for even that facility's future.

I have signed the petition of our MP James Morris and I wish him well with his campaign, but I am far from convinced that there will be any change of heart by the police authority in their drive to remove policing as far as possible from the community.

Barry Wheeler.

Dunstall Road,

Halesowen