THE immediate and widespread reaction of concern at the possible closure of six East Lancashire police stations and sale of a further 13 is not difficult to understand.

People want a visible police presence in their towns and villages as a visible deterrent to wrongdoers and a place to go to in the event of trouble.

But at the same time, it is not the Lancashire force itself which has decided as a matter of choice to find £42million in savings over the next four years.

It is the government which has imposed these cuts – a government with a cabinet made up of leading members of the two parties whose MPs are among those protesting at the police plans.

Faced with having to drastically cut budgets, the force has not had a lot of room to manoeuvre.

It could be argued that in an era when virtually everyone carries a mobile phone, the demand for face-to-face counter service across the area has diminished.

Police themselves maintain that the stations which are facing the chop have been selected because they just don’t get enough visitors to justify their existence.

The decision is an unpleasant one but maybe less damaging than cuts in officer numbers or the vehicles which they use to answer calls.