LONGBRIDGE police officers are to move in with the Fire Service as part of a cost-cutting programme.

The Longbridge Neighbourhood Policing Team - including PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) - will move into Northfield Fire Station 'soon', the Advertiser understands.

The team is one of five to be relocated as part of the new West Midlands Police Estates Programme - Billesley, Kings Norton, Old Hill and Northfield are the others.

The Estates Programme aims to save the force £5m per year through disposing of 'through disposing of underused buildings with millions of pounds worth of maintenance costs outstanding'.

Longbridge Police Station was closed in 2017 and sold at auction the following year, fetching £400,000 through a buyer with plans to turn it into office space and apartments.

Since then, Longbridge officers have been based at other stations in the South Birmingham area.

West Midlands Police chiefs say the new move will mean 'police officers and PCSOs can work much closer and more effectively with staff from the fire service'.

“Co-locating with our colleagues at West Midlands Fire Service has allowed neighbourhood teams to remain exactly where the public want them to be. At the heart of the communities which they serve," said West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson.

“Not only will this move allow us to save money but it will also mean that officers are able to work much closer with firefighters and share information more easily.

“We have already seen the success of co-location in Walsall, where we have Police Officers and PCSOs working alongside the Council.

"This approach is allowing us to save money by protecting funding for neighbourhood policing, thus allowing recruitment of officers and PCSOs.”

Neighbourhood Teams from Old Hill and Billesley moved into their new locations in May, with the Northfield, Longbridge and Kings Norton teams relocating soon.

The new locations do not serve as public contact offices and are not open to the public.

Mike Griffiths, who heads Finance and Resources for West Midlands Fire Service, said: “We aim to run our 38 fire stations, which are true community assets, as efficiently as possible.

"A number of them are home to partner agencies or community groups.

"This initiative will enable us to work even more closely with West Midlands Police and to enhance the services we provide to local people."