A KEIGHLEY resident has hit out at what he describes as a lack of visible police presence in the town.

Malcolm Balmforth, of North Dean Avenue, raised the issue at a public Keighley Town Council meeting in the civic centre.

He asked why he should pay a precept to fund the police when they do not appear to be on patrol in Keighley.

"This town needs a police presence," he said.

Another town resident, Geoff Lund, asked how far away officers would be responding from once a crime is picked up on new CCTV installed in Lund Park.

Responding to Mr Balmforth, town councillor Amjad Zaman said the latest figures actually show a big decrease in crime locally.

"When I've called the police, they've always turned up," he added.

Cllr Barry Thorne said: "The worse thing the police have done has been to close down their station in the centre of Keighley."

No one from the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner's office responded to a Keighley News request for a comment.

As previously reported in the Keighley News, the future of the town's current police station, in Royd Ings Avenue, remains in doubt.

The station, which has already seen the closure of its cells and the relocation of CID officers to Bradford, is subject to a review.