WILTSHIRE Police is temporarily closing its Bourne Hill enquiry office in Salisbury.

All of the forces enquiry offices have now been closed in a bid to protect both the public and its officers and staff.

The decision has been made following the latest government advice on social distancing and staying at home as part of the ongoing fight against coronavirus.

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard said: "I want to reassure people that this is a temporary measure and I hope people will see that we have made this decision for very practical and safety-conscious reasons.

"This will not impact our visibility in your communities. Our police stations are still running as normal, and you will continue to see our Community Policing Teams out and about on patrol and responding to 999 and 101 calls.

"I want to thank you all for you continued support for Wiltshire Police. These are unprecedented times, and I know there will be challenges and uncertainty ahead, but we are committed to providing the very best service to the communities of Swindon and Wiltshire."

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Swindon and Wiltshire, Angus Macpherson, added: "The Government advice is clear – all non-essential social interactions need to stop, and one way that we as a police force can help with that, is by introducing these temporary closures.

"Footfall at our enquiry offices has fallen dramatically in recent days, and there are a number of other, more appropriate ways that people can contact the police at this time.

"Calling us or visiting the Wiltshire Police website is safer for everyone. Not only will it keep the public safe, but it will allow us to redeploy those staff who usually work on a front counter, to a more critical role."

Anyone who has a pre-arranged, essential appointment at a police station can attend as normal, but use the yellow phone outside to alert an officer or member of staff.

People will still be able to contact Wiltshire Police on the 999 emergency and 101 non-emergency numbers, on its website, as well as using the yellow phones outside its enquiry offices.