After years of appeals from residents and local councillors, Alton is set to regain a police front desk.

The announcement comes from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police as part of an ongoing programme to strengthen ties between police and the communities they serve.

Across the police district, Alton will be joined by Bishop’s Waltham in South East Hampshire and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight as the next towns to benefit from this initiative.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “I’m delighted to announce the reopening of three more police stations to the public in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

“They ensure people living, working and visiting Bishop’s Waltham, Shanklin, and Alton feel connected to their police force once more.”

The news follows the reopening of Petersfield Police Station in June — the eighth station revived by the police commissioner in the past 18 months.

Ms Jones added: “We’ve already seen the big difference these front desks have made to our communities, making people feel safer and offering reassurance that police officers are on hand to support victims and get criminals off our streets.

“These renovations go beyond just the new public areas. They will also ensure our officers and staff have better work environments to enable them to do their jobs properly and continue delivering great results for their communities.”

The new front desk in Alton is expected to open to the public next year and marks a long-awaited milestone for the town.

East Hampshire District Councillor Ginny Boxall said there had been concerns in recent years about limited access to policing services.

“It has been frustrating in that to contact the police you have to do it online or by telephone, and I know some residents have given up when trying to report a crime,” she said.

“The Lib-Dems have been campaigning to open a police station in Alton for some time - we bring it up every time we have a briefing with our district police inspector. So we really do welcome this news and we’re very pleased.”

Alton’s police station closed in May 2017, although neighbourhood, patrol, and response teams continued to operate from Hatch House on Mill Lane, but without any public-facing facilities.

Calls for a new station intensified earlier this year following several violent incidents in the town centre.

In April, police were called to reports of youths smashing bottles and fighting inside Waitrose, followed later that month by a street brawl involving around 10 people on the High Street.

The push to reopen police stations across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight remains one of the police commissioner’s key priorities, forming part of a wider plan to improve police visibility, responsiveness, and public confidence.

In Petersfield, police invested £2.5 million to convert the former Barclays Bank on The Square into a 4,500 sq ft police hub with a front counter and rooms for CID, local policing, and district teams.

“We have given back what you desperately needed and asked for,” said Ms Jones at the opening ceremony in June.