VISITORS will have less time to report a crime or seek security advice face-to-face because the opening hours of the front desk at Bolton Central Police Station are being cut.

The public enquiry counter (PEC) at the station in Scholey Street in Bolton will become the only manned reception in the borough from February 27 when the one at Horwich Police Station closes.

People can currently walk in off the street and speak to staff between 8am and 11pm seven days a week but the opening hours are being trimmed.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said: "There was a clear pattern of demand across the force with 95 per cent of people visiting our enquiry counters before 8pm.

"This included just six per cent of visits to Bolton’s Scholey Street counter after 8pm.

"As a result, the counters that are staying open will see a reduction in opening hours, with opening times changing from the current 8am to 11pm Monday to Sunday to 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm at weekends.

"There will be a public contact telephone at each of these locations that will connect members of the public with enquiry counter staff elsewhere in GMP or our control room call handlers.

"There will also be a refreshed timetable of Neighbourhood Policing Team public meetings where members of the public can have face to face discussions with local officers.

"Going forward, the work we are doing to give people new ways of contacting us, such as transforming our website, a new chat facility and an online system for reporting lost property sees us continue to take steps to ensure our services match the needs of the people that we serve."

Horwich Police Station's desk received the fewest visitors in the whole force and is one of 10 across Greater Manchester that is be shut.

A report on the changes and closures to Police and Crime Commissioner's public forum held on Thursday said: "Very few people visit PECs for 'help me'-type demands that you would naturally associate with an enquiry counter i.e. members of the public requiring assistance from enquiry counter staff to report a crime or incident, for specific advice or to report lost or found property.

"The majority of all demand within PECs is internally focussed and police driven e.g. persons reporting for police/court bail signings or sex offender registration.

"Almost half of all citizens reporting to a PEC did so because GMP had asked them to. As it is police driven, there are options for managing demand differently."