Concerns raised as disabled woman couldn't access 24/7 police station

Douglas McAllister has said it is 'extremely concerning' that West Dunbartonshire's only 24-hour police station has been closed a number of times, causing worry for a local resident.

Nicola Mullen, who is a deaf resident in Clydebank, says she feels 'let down' that her local police office has been shut 'at least four times in ten days.'

When she attended the station on Montrose Street on October 3 she found a closed sign asking residents to instead contact non-emergency number, 101.

Closed sign on Clydebank Police Station (Image: Supplied)

She attended another few times and also found it closed.

Nicola said: "The only 24-hour police station in West Dunbartonshire has not been 24 hours at least four times in the last 10 days.

"I actually felt shocked and quite let down by Police Scotland, with the fact that they haven't let the community know.

"It is just harder for me because I don't sign and find speaking on the phone very difficult.

"I feel like it highlights my disability and takes away a bit of my independence, to be honest. 

"As a deaf individual who doesn't sign and lip reads, being able to go into a Police station is so helpful and stops me feeling like my disability excludes me."

Mr McAllister has slammed 'SNP failure' which he says has caused 'funding shortages'.

MP Douglas McAllister has said he is 'very concerned' (Image: Gordon Terris) He said: "It's very concerning for any of my constituents looking to access entry to Clydebank police station, but even more if it's one of my constituents who has additional difficulties and additional needs and therefore can't access the police by other routes.

"For the residents of West Dunbartonshire, this should be a very basic standard provision for a town and a community of our size that we have a central police station open 24 hours a day. It's extremely concerning to be closed on at least four of these occasions, I imagine over a very short time period.

"My constituents have been unable to access the police station. To my mind, this really is a legacy of 17 years of SNP failure.

"They're consistently underfunding the police service of Scotland. So this is clearly a result of funding shortages. It's having a knock-on effect and therefore there are clearly staff shortages.

"Since Police Scotland was established by this SNP Government in 2013, officer numbers decreased by 1300 and around 140 stations have closed."

Police Scotland confirmed last week that their station was closed on a few occasions and have asked residents who require assistance to contact 101 or the emergency line 999.

Chief Inspector Kirsten McLatchie said: “Unfortunately due to operational reasons Clydebank police station was closed to members of the public temporarily on a few occasions over the past week.

"Our standard provision for public front counter services at Clydebank is 24 hours a day. We aim to maintain these services consistently throughout the year and the vast majority of the time this is achieved.

“We can assure the public that we continue to be available, visible and accessible to them by phone or online and will work wherever possible to keep the station accessible to the public.

“Anyone needing to contact police can do so by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.”

Clydebank Police Station on Montrose Street (Image: Gordon Terris)

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Despite the current financial challenges faced due to UK Government cuts our budget for this year includes record police total funding of £1.55 billion, an increase of £92.7 million.

"The allocation of these resources and responsibility for the management of the police estate, including operating hours, lies with Police Scotland and we have noted that due to operational reasons, the station was closed to members of the public temporarily on a few occasions but that standard provision is 24 hours a day.”