Police scrap plans to move officers from Battle to Hastings

The Observer learnt the Force was considering moving the emergency response officers out of Battle Police Station and in with colleagues at Hastings - leaving no response officers based in Rother.

Response officers from Rye and Bexhill have been based at Battle since September 2011, but earlier this year the town’s police station, in North Trade Road, was branded “not really fit for purpose”.

In July rumours circulated that Rye and Battle police stations were to be sold off.

At the time, Rother District Commander Chief Inspector Katy Woolford said there were no immediate plans to move out of the buildings, but confirmed Sussex Police was considering its options.

She said one possibility would be for officers to move into premises with local councils or other emergency services.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Sussex Police confirmed the possibility of moving the Rother hub to Hastings had been considered.

He said: “We understand this was suggested as an idea at one point in the past but it is not now being pursued.”

Last week the Observer reported that Battle and Rye’s ambulance stations could be under threat as the ambulance service confirmed it wanted to centralise services in Hastings.