Oldham police station temporary reduced hours

Oldham police station has been on ‘temporary’ reduced opening hours for more than a year without telling the public, according to a local councillor. 

The Greater Manchester Police headquarters on Barn Street in the town centre has been closing early at 4pm during the week and remaining shut over the weekend – allegedly for a total of 14 months so far. 

A councillor, who made the discovery this weekend, has slammed the current conditions as ‘unacceptable’. 

Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani (pictured below) said: “We have seen massive reductions in access to local police stations, such the Uppermill police station. Now we seem to be getting further reductions by stealth. Oldham’s people deserve better.”

He noted that the hours made it difficult for ‘anyone who works a 9-5 or lives somewhere else in the borough to attend the police station without having to take time off work’. 

The representative for Saddleworth West & Lees recently discovered the change after twice attempting to visit the police station on the weekend, once to hand in an axe his daughter had found while out litter picking, and once to hand in a phone. 

A 101 call informed him that the police station would be open on weekdays between 8am and 8pm and from 10am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday. The same opening times are currently still listed on the GMP website.

Only a small ‘less visible’ sign fixed to the station door informs visitors of the changed opening times.

“I do not regard it as reasonable that members of the public in Oldham can only access the police station during these hours,” Coun Al-Hamdani said. “Further, it seems completely unreasonable that something that has been in place for over a year is regarded as being temporary.”

The elected representative has addressed a letter to GMCA’s deputy mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner Kate Green. 

When contacted, a spokesperson for GMCA made it clear the Deputy Mayor had received the letter. It is understood she will respond to the councillor directly after talking to the Chief Constable. 

GMP did not respond to a request for comment.