Winchester police station could be axed as pressure on staff increases, a meeting heard.

The city’s beat areas are set to be merged to save money and North Walls station could close, meaning some local police could soon be working from a base at the city’s fire station.

The police station’s closure is an “eventuality,” and follows similar plans put in place across the county as the force slashes its building stock and costs, PCSO Tim Wild told the Police And Communities Together (PACT) meeting.

PC Joe Zubaidi added: “Loads of stations have closed all over the county, and are being sold off.

“The areas are still covered – for example, in Winchester we won’t own a police station but the response teams will be working out of the fire station.”

The changes come as Hampshire Constabulary continues to make multi-million pound savings in the face of savage reductions to its allowance from Government.

It will see city beat officers working in Mottisfont Court, which the force has bought from Hampshire County Council to use as a new headquarters, he added.

Winchester’s beat areas – the city centre and residential neighbourhoods – will be merged from April.

It is the latest phase of a major restructure of the force, which as previously reported will see more than 2,000 officers across the county relocated.

Partnership with the fire service is nothing new, with Shirley neighbourhood police teams in Southampton moved to Redbridge fire station earlier this year and the station closed.

Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes has hailed the sharing of buildings a major success, with backing from the Government to make it happen elsewhere.

Having more than halved the hefty £80m estates bill the force had when he took up his post, Mr Hayes’ latest plan aims to reduce the total running costs of what is left of the estate by up to £3m a year.