A VALUED Hampshire village police station will close if controversial proposals being touted by constabulary chiefs are given the go-ahead.

Months of speculation were brought to an end by the official announcement that Netley station could soon be shutting its doors for the last time.

Supt Russell Tribe, of the county force's Eastleigh division, has confirmed he is in favour of pulling the station's 13 constables and sergeant out of the long-standing village base.

If the plan goes ahead, the village's body of police officers will be based at Hedge End, together with 31 constables and two other sergeants covering the whole of the southern parishes.

But Superintendent Tribe has assured villagers the number of dedicated beat officers will not change and plans are in the offing to run regular face-to-face police surgeries around Netley, Bursledon, and Hound.

He said: "The message I want to get across to the public is that we are not taking police officers away from Netley. All we are saying is that they are reporting for duty in a different place.

"From an operational point of view I consider it to be the better choice."

Of the end of the well-known building's tour of duty, he added: "I am looking at delivering the most effective police service in the most cost effective way I can."

Villagers are expected to turn out in force at a meeting of the police authority's police liaison group held especially in Netley to give them a chance to have their say.

Hound Parish Council chairman Martha Lyn said: "Villagers will be up in arms and very sorry to see the station go. I know there are different types of policing in the 21st century but you cannot beat a police presence."

The public's views are being welcomed at the police authority meeting, which takes place on November 22, at 7.30pm, at the Abbey Hall, Netley.