THERE'S still time to make your views heard on plans which could see the permanent closure of Dalgety Bay's public police counter.

Officers launched a consultation process in November to gauge opinion on making changes, which would also see a reduction in opening hours for the service in Dunfermline.

There are no plans to close any stations – officers would still continue to be based in existing premises – but the decision would alter the way residents are able to contact the police.

An online survey, available until the end of this month, aims to collect information on how often counters are used and whether newly-proposed hours would meet the needs of the public.

If changes go ahead as planned, Dalgety Bay's counter, which currently operates from 9am until 5pm Monday-Friday, would close, while Dunfermline's hours would reduce from 24 hours a day to between 8am and midnight, seven days a week.

Councillor David Barratt, who represents Dalgety Bay, doesn't believe there will be a "huge outcry" from residents who want the service to remain open in the town.

He told the Press: "I don't think there is a strong feeling. After hours were reduced, so many people wouldn't know when it was open to the public, there has been a gradual closure and there is not a huge outcry.

"It would always be good to have services there but the main thing people want is the availability of the police when they call. That shouldn't be impacted by the change."

Police Scotland say the move is to help "utilise" their budget "in the best possible ways to keep the public safe and follows a number of reviews on how communities use public counters within the Kingdom, which suggest that the current opening hours exceed the level of demand".

A statement included in the survey reads: "There has been a change in how the public contact and engage with the police in recent years, reducing demand on public counters.

"Changes to most public counter services is minimal, with only Dalgety Bay proposed to close due to limited demand.

"Others are altering opening and closing times to reflect usage."

It continues: "Public counter provision has no bearing on policing provision. No police stations are closing and officers will remain visible in their communities.

"No decisions have been made at present and consultation is to help gauge public opinion on proposal before any final decision made."

The survey closes on January 30 and is available online at: https://consult.scotland.police.uk/fife/public-counter-opening-hours-fife-division/