MUCH has been written about the Keighley police stations – past, present and future – in recent weeks and in particular the Police Commissioner’s wish to waste even more public funds to build yet another new police station.

We can’t blame the commissioner for the actual decision to abandon the original police station, but we can blame him for what has happened subsequently and in particular the near abandonment of the Royd Ings Avenue police station.

He has a state-of-the-art police station in Keighley already. He should make sensible use of it rather than waste yet more of our money to make his much-reduced police presence in Keighley more visible to the public, but even less effective than before. There is more than enough traffic chaos in central Keighley already.

ROGER CHAPMAN Keighley

* Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, responds: “I have pledged to ensure that there remains a police station in Keighley, importantly maintaining a visible police presence.

“We have lost a third of the police budget since 2010, £140m plus, but have to ensure we are providing the best value service we can in Keighley and across all districts within West Yorkshire.

“We have recently reinvested in neighbourhood policing which ensures the focus will be on engagement with communities, problem solving, prevention and early intervention in helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour ensuring our communities are safe and feel safe.”