CUTS to the opening hours of police station front counters will come into force next week.

From next Monday, February 27, Horwich Police Station will be closed to the public and Scholey Street Station, in Bolton, will be running reduced opening hours.

The changes, which were announced in December following a consultation period, mean that members of the public will have fewer opportunities to report a crime or seek security advice face-to-face.

The review of services showed that the Horwich public enquiry counter, one of 10 that will close, received the fewest visitors in the whole force.

A GMP spokesman said: “We are transforming policing in Greater Manchester and these changes will help us focus on meeting demand that already exists. We need people’s continued support as we make changes to ensure we are focused on keeping people safe and providing the best service possible.

“The review found that the 10 counters due to close generated just 18 per cent of demand across the whole of Greater Manchester. Some, such as the counter at Horwich Police Station, saw as little as one member of the public attending the PEC per day during the review.”

Scholey Street Station’s opening hours will change from the current 8am to 11pm, to 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm at weekends.