Up to 26 RUC stations have been earmarked for closure in Northern Ireland as part of a review of the police estate, it was confirmed today.
Proposals to shut the bases - including stations in south Armagh, west Belfast and Derry - are to be discussed by RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan when he meets his police authority in Belfast this afternoon.
"It has been made clear time and time again that the police estate will have to be reviewed and some closures are inevitable," an RUC spokesman said.
"But before any decisions are taken, there will be consultations with the authority and local communities."
"The consultation will include confirmation of how to achieve access between communities and local police, for example through supermarkets and libraries."
The move has been welcomed by the SDLP, who said it was "justified as part of the process of normalisation" and an integral part of the Patten Report.
The party’s spokesperson on policing, Mr Alex Attwood MLA said: "It should be remembered that Patten recommended that community policing should be the core of proper policing, and local accessible police stations are a physical part of such an approach."
However, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, Ulster Unionist MP claimed the proposed closures would be disturbing for "most people".
"They are further evidence of the detrimental effect that the Patten proposals are having on policing in Northern Ireland," he said.
"Many people will have a growing realisation that these issues are being pushed forward and that the result of it will be that the police will not be as effective."
PA