IT was disappointing to see, as recently reported in the Tele, Inverclyde’s MP Ronnie Cowan appear so relaxed about the proposals to close Greenock Police Station.

His insistence that the closure of Inverclyde’s major police station ‘is not a crisis’ is not a view shared by many.

Indeed, Debbie Reilly – Inverclyde’s highly respected area commander until 2020 – has hit out strongly against the proposals, expressing her concern about the scant detail on the plans from Police Scotland, and the implications if arrested persons in Inverclyde have to be taken to Glasgow, thus depriving Inverclyde of officers for many hours as they transport prisoners.

The Tele has this week led the way by launching its own campaign to 'Protect Our Policing' and protect Greenock’s station. It is a campaign I am proud to support, and I encourage all concerned readers to do so.

In response to public outcry, Police Scotland has said that we needn’t worry as a ‘police presence’ will remain in Greenock.

Well I would hope so, in one of Scotland’s major towns with a population well over 40,000. That a ‘presence’ will remain is hardly reassuring, and not nearly good enough.

I am not necessarily against a reconfiguration or certainly upgrading of the police station, including into an ‘emergency services hub’.

But, as the Tele has rightly highlighted in recent editorials, there is so much uncertainty around these proposals that the public will rightly remain sceptical until detail is provided and we know what we are dealing with.

At time of writing, I am due to quiz the Justice Secretary in the Scottish Parliament on these proposals.

I will be asking her if she supports them, and what she intends to do to safeguard local policing.

I sincerely hope there will be no mealy-mouthed answer about this being an operational matter for the police – she is the Justice Secretary and ultimately responsible, and it is Scottish Government cuts and inadequate funding over many years that have brought us to this point.