POLICE top brass are set to be publicly grilled over the controversial plan to axe their Greenock HQ at an emergency meeting - as a Telegraph campaign demanding the retention of all operational services in Inverclyde gathers momentum.
The district's Police and Fire Scrutiny Panel has urgently convened the special summit at the Municipal Buildings in response to mounting concerns from the public and former senior police officers over the closure move.
Committee chair, Councillor David Wilson, told the Telegraph exclusively that the showdown meeting will take place on January 25 as part of a 'critical response' to the rapidly developing situation.
It comes as our Protect Our Policing campaign has gathered hundreds of signatories to a petition and won the support of former Greenock police commander Debbie Reilly.
Councillor Wilson said the scrutiny panel meeting will be a vital step towards helping Inverclyde address and report the issues raised by the potential closure.
The Conservative politician said: "This meeting will help us decide on a definitive Inverclyde Council response to the Police Scotland consultation document.
"We will have the consultation document in front of us and will have strong input from council officers, and police and fire service.
"It will be a critical response.
"We want to hear what local police representatives are saying.
"They've been extremely helpful and informative and have told us everything that they can so far.
"They're in a very difficult position."
Councillor Wilson has pledged his support to the Telegraph's campaign, adding that it imperative that Inverclyde has a strong police presence.
He added: "If the station does close, we really must have a proper replacement.
"I will be stressing that a significant presence should be maintained, preferably in Greenock as the largest town.
"We've already lost Port Glasgow and Gourock, and the village stations.
"There are enough people in our towns who want to break the law so there has to be a police station."
The Telegraph's campaign demands
* A permanent suite of custody cells for holding arrested people
* A public-facing front counter, open 24 hours every day
* A CID department retained at current levels
* Community policing retained at current levels
* Response policing retained at current levels
Councillor Wilson said some of the blame for the proposed closure should fall at the feet of the SNP.
He added: "We need to be realistic and look at why we are where we are.
"We have SNP representatives saying they're not worried about it but I think people in Inverclyde are worried about it.
"We have a shortfall in budget created by wage settlements of 15 per cent for junior doctors and 14 per cent for teachers.
"That avoided the strikes but budgets elsewhere have been cut.
"We're already seeing a drop in police and fire service personnel.
"We need clarity about what is ahead."
You can sign up to the Telegraph's petition here
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