POLICE constables will no longer be based in Penistone from next spring as part of multi-million pound budget cuts.
South Yorkshire Police plans to merge its response and safer neighbourhood officers to create multi-skilled local policing teams which will be used to manage demand in the borough from bases in Barnsley town centre and Wombwell.
Police community support officers, who do not have the power to arrest and can only investigate minor offences, will continue to operate from satellite stations across the area, including the Penistone one on Bridge Street.
Penistone East Coun Paul Hand-Davis, a former policeman, said he was not surprised by the planned changes but branded them 'crazy'.
"We're a long way out from Barnsley and I think it's dangerous for the officers and a slow response for us."
** The full story is in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated December 5. **
