Hampshire police want to close the front desk at the Highland Road station and make it appointments only.

This means the public will not be able to walk in off the street to report a crime or ask for help.

Instead, they will have to call Hampshire police's non-emergency number 0845 045 45 45 – based in Winchester – to book an appointment, or visit another station in the city.

The move comes as hours are to be cut at Portsmouth Central police station in Winston Churchill Avenue.

Eastney and Craneswater Councillor Terry Hall said: 'It's a retrograde step.

'People need to have a drop-in place where they can go immediately they've got an issue. Having to make an appointment will put people off.

'The police should be closer to the community.'

Muriel Deacon, chairwoman of Portsmouth Pensioners' Association, agreed, adding: 'It is the same old story.

'You want to see someone face to face and when people can't they find it off-putting.'

Police say they monitored the number of visitors to all four stations in the city over a six-month period.

Southsea saw an average of three visitors every two hours – just a quarter of the numbers seen at stations elsewhere in the city.

Civilian front desk staff at Southsea will be relocated to other stations.

Portsmouth's head of community safety Councillor Jason Fazackarley said he had confidence the police had not taken the decision lightly.

Chief Inspector James Fulton, who is in charge of policing in the south of the city, said: 'We're sure the new opening times and the appointment- only service at Southsea will help provide a better policing service for people in the city for a number of reasons.

'One of the most important of these is that in normal circumstances we will be open at other stations at the times advertised.

'It must be remembered that the Highland Road enquiry office is less than two miles from Winston Churchill Avenue where staffing numbers have been considerably increased.'

victoria.taylor @thenews.co.uk