VERWOOD police station’s front office will remain closed.

Counter service provision is being reduced from 15 to nine locations in Dorset, with four full-time enquiry offices remaining in Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth and Bridport.

Blandford, Gillingham and Sherborne will alternate opening two days each per week. Verwood and Wimborne offices have been closed since May and June and will not re-open. Shaftesbury, Ferndown, Christchurch, Winton, Dorchester and Wareham will also close.

The decision to sell Ferndown divisional headquarters and transfer 220 staff to other areas will save almost £400,000 a year in running costs. The force needs to find further savings of £9.5 million by 2015 due to continued reductions in central government funding and cost increases.