Deal Police station is now standing empty and is due to be sold.

The fate of the building built in London Road in 1889 was confirmed today by Kent Police and the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner.

It means officers will work from Dover Police Station in Ladywell while keeping a physical presence in Deal at a public enquiries desk at the town council’s High Street office.

Head of Divisional Operations for East Kent, Superintendent Simon Thompson assured Kentonline this will cause no detrimental effect to responses and said: “The public enquiries desk combined with our online reporting facility on our website www.kent.police.uk, has been providing residents with greater accessibility to our services than they had previously.

“As Deal station has not been an operational policing base for some years, the community will not see any reduction in our presence as response policing is already delivered from our main station in Dover. “The neighbourhood team, including the town’s dedicated PCSOs and town centre officer, remain committed to serving the area to ensure the public are supported.”

Officers and PCSOs are understood to have moved out of the 570 sqm town centre base on Friday.

"The community will not see any reduction in our presence as response policing is already delivered from our main station in Dover..."

The topic of selling the station was discussed today at a high level meeting where police estates were on the agenda.

A statement from the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said:

“Deal police station is earmarked for sale but no route to market has been identified yet.

“It is not on the list of properties to be auctioned and a decision on the most appropriate route will be made in due course.”

A spokesman confirmed there are no active custody cells.

"The custody at Deal has been closed for very many years and detained persons are taken to Custody Suites at Margate, Folkestone or Canterbury. Historically there were four cells at Deal."

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