POTTERS Bar police station will be closed down, as part of Hertfordshire Police Authority’s plans to bridge a �36m gap in funding.

The station, in High Street, was one of six stations that were today (Friday) axed from the Authority’s property portfolio, during a meeting at County Hall in Hertford.

But the Authority insists the closures will not affect the number of neighbourhood policemen on the streets, and also promised to look at alternative locations in the future.

The closures are expected to save the authority �220,000 a year, with capital receipts in the region of �2.4m.

Authority chairman Stuart Nagler said today: “This is the sort of decision we were facing.

“We’ll do all we can to protect safer neighbourhood teams and frontline services, and this is the cost of it.

“Less and less people are visiting police stations. People use phone and web-based ways of contact.

“But a lot of people do welcome a police presence, and we need to look at our options so communities can still expect the same level of presence they’ve had in the past.”

The five other stations that will be closed are at London Colney, Baldock, Bushey, and two smaller stations in Watford.