POLICE presence in the Forest of Dean is set to disappear as the Gloucestershire force makes severe cuts in the district by closing its hubs and ordering officers to operate from the city.

It is also understood the Gloucestershire force is expanding its tri-force area arrangement with Wiltshire and Avon & Somerset, which has already merged their dog units, and will be combining its traffic divisions, but reducing its combined fleet of vehicles from 50 to 18.

Councillor Bob Berryman, mayor of Lydney Town Council told members that the Police and Crime Commissioner had gone back on his word to preserve policing hubs in the Forest and announced that in future police officers would be operating out of Gloucester.

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