THERE are to be public meetings in Cinderford and Lydney where the public can discuss forthcoming changes in policing in the Forest.

Gloucestershire Police Authority and Gloucestershire Constabulary representatives will be present on March 22 at 7pm at Cinderford Miners Hall, Wesley Road, and on March 27 at 7pm at Lydney Town Hall, High Street.

The meeting in Cinderford will be chaired by Police Authority member Councillor Stephen McMillan, and the meeting in Lydney by Independent Police Authority member Colin Greaves. Both meetings will also be attended by the Forest of Dean Local Policing Area Superintendent Phil Haynes.

These public meetings follow the previous announcement by the Police Authority on the decision to close Coleford Police Station and move the staff currently working there into shared accommodation at the Forest of Dean District Council (FODDC) offices in the town. Both Lydney and Cinderford Police Stations will also be vacated, with officers from those stations moving into the FODDC offices.

The purpose of the public meetings is to discuss with the communities in Lydney and Cinderford the best place to site Police Points, which will replace the police stations in those towns. The meetings will provide a chance for the local community to have their say on the police points and ask any questions.

"We would love to see as many people there as possible and welcome anyone to attend," said a police spokesman.

Cllr Rob Garnham, chairman of Gloucestershire Police Authority, said: "We genuinely want the public to come back to us with comment and suggestions on how we can best provide policing in their communities, albeit within a reduced budget.

"It is important to remember that there will be no impact on the level of policing in these areas. There will continue to be a visible and accessible policing presence across the whole of the Forest of Dean."

The decision to close the stations is part of the ongoing estates review programme, which itself is part of the programme of work designed at making the £18 million of savings required by the Authority and Constabulary over a four year period.

A Police Point is a base for police officers to work from and members of the public can make appointments to discuss any concerns they may have about crime and disorder in the area. Officers will work from these points periodically, and when they're in the offices they will put a sign up outside, so that anyone passing by can call in.