SEVEN response officers based at Dartmouth police station have been transferred to Totnes as part of ongoing changes to police operations.

The transfers took place on Friday as part of significant spending cuts and reviews.

Response officers deal with immediate incidents and are largely stationed in specific locations.

The review is force-wide and will look at how local policing can be sustained.

Currently, officers deal with incidents closest to their main bases. In Dartmouth's case, the sector, South Hams West, covers an area from Slapton, to Halwell and Hillhead.

Now a series of 'response hubs' have been set up, based at Totnes and Kingsbridge.

Inspector Andy Tomlinson, the sector Inspector for South Hams East, has charge of all uniformed officers within this geographical area.

Response officers will be based at Totnes, and tabs will be kept on officer's locations, so that the head communications office, based in Exeter, can track the movements of officers as they work around the South Hams.

The aim is to spread officers evenly and for them to be away from the hubs, so that an officer can reach any incident within the 20-minute guideline.

Co-ordination of officers, according to where they are at the time, will be of a benefit to areas like Kingswear, which currently has the difficulty of Dartmouth-based officers getting to the village late at night when the ferries are closed, resulting in them having to undertake an estimated 40-minute round trip via Totnes.

Changes will also be made to neighbourhood beat operations, with a new shift pattern enabling officers work later into the night.

But the neighbourhood beat team, including four PCSOs overseen by Sgt Iain Simons, will remain in the town and the force plans to seek a replacement for PC Paul Marels, the officer for Townstal and Rural, who was compulsory retired in April. The number of police cars based at Dartmouth will be reduced from four to two.

The plan will operate throughout the summer before it is reviewed in the autumn.

Despite fewer officers operating on a full-time basis from Dartmouth, there is no plan to close the police station.

Insp Tomlinson said: 'The issue with applying models and various tests to South Hams is that it is such a large geographical area to cover, with plenty of communities, and therefore potential incidents.

'This is a learning curve for us too and the message from the force is that this is a big change and we're not anticipating getting it right on day one.

'There are a number of senior meetings that are taking place over the coming months to review what we're doing.

'It's not that we've just closed our eyes and jumped. A lot of work has been done in the background.

'Everything is going to be reviewed over the next four years and that will include Dartmouth station.'

He added: 'The force's position for quite some time has been that the station is not particularly suitable to our needs, but it is in a good location and there is no better alternative at this time.

'The key point is that there is a natural apprehension internally and externally over these reviews.

'There will be more officers on duty than we've ever had and, because we're moving artificial boundaries, we're making better use of our resources.'

A public meeting to discuss the changes and any concerns will be held on Wednesday, June 29, at 7.30pm in Dartmouth Guildhall.