THE region’s police chief Gill Imery has admitted local stations could close to make further budget savings.

But the Chief Superintendent has refuted claims that less officers are now based in the Borders.

Chief Supt Imery was responding to accusations that policing levels have reduced since the formation of a single force almost two years ago.

A former Galashiels policeman, Harry Scott, was recently denied officer numbers through Freedom of Information amid fears that local cover had diminished. And he was in the public benches for Friday’s announcement at the Police, Fire and Safer Communities Board meeting.

The commander for West Lothian, East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders revealed that there were 914 officers working in her Division - exactly the same number when she took up post a year ago.

Chief Supt Imery said: “The number of officers in the Borders and in the Division as a whole is the same and I have no intentions of changing that.

“Police Scotland has changed the way it works which means there are other demands on top of what officers did before - we work differently with sex offences, domestic abuse, offender management and things like that.” Although assurances were given for the future of officer numbers in Borders towns and villages, the same couldn’t be provided for stations and other infrastructure.

The Chief Superintendent added: “Support staff and estates have been reduced since the formation of Police Scotland.

“Savings have to be made and something had to give.

“Further savings will need to be made and we are actively looking at more co-location and shared services. I’m not hiding anything here - we will need to continue changing.” Police front counters at Selkirk, Melrose, Lauder and Coldstream closed last year.

And stations in Innerleithen and West Linton were amongst the casualties of cut backs prior to the formation of a single force.

Friday’s board meeting was told that reviews are starting to look at options for co-location between local agencies.

Although councillors welcomed the announcement that officer numbers had remained static, there remained an air of scepticism.

Galashiels member Sandy Aitchison said: “I am interested that there was 914 officers then and there’s 914 officers now.

“The headline figures can often disguise matters.

“There has been a vast reduction in backroom staff which means there is now a lot more for each officer to do.

“The public perspective is that we don’t see the same numbers of police on the street - Police Scotland need to get the message across that numbers are the same.” National savings in the region of £60 million have been made by Police Scotland during 2014/15.

But a similar amount will have to found again for this forthcoming financial year, despite vows from the Scottish Government to maintain officer numbers.

Councillor Aitchison added: “The police should not be the political football it seems to be. The police should be above all of that.”