THERE is no sign of a police station in Basingstoke town centre despite Hampshire's crime commissioner claiming there is one.  

As previously reported, the topic of conversation came up during a Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council meeting when Cllr Tony Jones called for there to be a police station in the town centre where residents can go to report crimes.

READ MORE: Councillor calls for a police station in Basingstoke

After the Gazette published the story, Donna Jones, the crime commissioner for Hampshire, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to argue that there is a police station in the town centre.

Ms Jones' post criticised councillors for not knowing that "there is a police station in Basingstoke town centre" and labelling this as "worrying".

She added that the town centre police station has all the neighbourhood and response police in it "plus loads of police cars outside on the London Road". 

"What’s more we rent the office from Basingstoke council," she said. 

However, this is not open to the public as a police station. 

Ms Jones also pointed out that Basingstoke has a Police Investigation Centre "with a front counter, arguably the most (police) served town in the county!"

A Gazette reporter went to the Parklands building at the council civic offices and found a sign on the wall, which read 'we are sorry this police station is not open to the public.'

Basingstoke Gazette: The sign on the Parklands building wall The sign on the Parklands building wall (Image: Newsquest)

The reporter also walked into the building opposite in London Road, where the council is based, to see if it was possible to report a crime there. They were informed by a receptionist that "police are not based in the town centre anymore".

The reporter was told to report the crime at The Northern Hampshire Police Investigation Centre, in Jays Close, Viables, which is 1.3 miles away and outside of the town centre. 

PCC Donna Jones said that while police teams are based in the Parklands building, she admitted that the public cannot report a crime there, and said: "The public can report a crime at the Northern Investigation Centre on Jays Close, which is home to a variety of specialist police teams.

SEE ALSO: Basingstoke bus services will be improved, council says

"It’s open every day and is just a short walk from the town centre. It is also on a bus route and if travelling by car, there is clear road signage in place and an abundance of onsite parking.

“These two sites mean Basingstoke town centre has a large amount of police resources on its doorstep.”