A SHOPPING centre is to house an office for the neighbourhood team when a village police station closes on June 1.

Sainsbury’s at Colney Fields shopping centre will house the London Colney Safer Neighbourhood Team from June 1 when the police station in the village closes.

Officers will start and end their day at St Albans police station where their equipment and vehicles will be stored but the majority of their working day will be in the London Colney area using Sainsbury’s as a patrol base or for meetings when required.

Inspector Ruth Dodsworth, who with Chief Inspector Richard Hann has been working closely with London Colney parish council to find the right location for neighbourhood team officers, said: “We’re very grateful to Sainsbury’s who are letting us use the office on their premises for free. As a result it means neighbourhood officers can continue to police London Colney as they have been, offering a visible and high quality service whilst being located in the heart of the local community.”

She thanked residents and businesses who had forwarded suggestions for alternative premises when the current police station in the High Street closes because of financial pressures. She added: “I looked at these along with my team and partners and we felt that Sainsbury’s, which was suggested to me by many of you, was indeed an excellent place for your team to be located.”