'UK's smallest police station' opens – and the public immediately let rip

30 October 2023 , 21:59

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Inspector Steve Turner said it is important to have a 'visible presence' in the town (Image: David McHugh / Brighton Pictures)

Police say their new station will help tackle a spate of knife crime - despite it being smaller than a Smart car and made from recycled plastic bottles.

The police station in Crawley, West Sussex is now the 'smallest in Britain' and measures just 6ft by 8ft 4in. It is too tiny for cells and photos show a table and chair barely squeezed inside alongside PCSOs who are set to staff it every day. The station, which has drawn comparisons to the Tardis in Doctor Who, is powered by solar panels and made from 1,312 bottles.

Sussex Police has faced ridicule over the new centre with some locals claiming it is so small it will get ‘vandalised or turned upside down’. Others claimed they needed a lot more officers than the station will be able to hold. One shopper told media: “I’ve heard of cut-backs but this is ridiculous.”

The miniscule police station has taken flak from bemused members of the public (David McHugh / Brighton Pictures)

But the force has hit back at criticism and Inspector Steve Turner, of Crawley neighbourhood policing, said: “Although it is only small it will allow us to have a very visible presence in the middle of the town centre which we have identified as a hotspot for violent crime and serious anti-social behaviour in the evenings. We also have problems with shoplifting and other types of crime during the daytime and we hope that having officers here, ready to respond, will not only be able to tackle the problems we are facing but will act as a deterrent.”

As well as police officers using the station, there will be other agencies including business wardens and volunteer night marshals. Officials hope the money, which came from the central Government, will deter knife crime which has been deadly already this year.

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Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, added: “Residents regularly tell me how much they value access to police support within their communities. We know that visible policing deters crime and having the new Crawley hub in place provides the opportunity to build better relationships and strengthen the public’s confidence in their local policing team."

Jake Loader