FRUSTRATED telephone callers have won action to help cut delays in speaking to Alsager police officers.

For many years local people who dialled Alsager police station have often been left in limbo because no-one was at the station at the time.

However police have acted to end that problem by arranging to have any calls to the town police station speedily redirected to Northwich via a central switchboard.

Although the switchboard is based at Cheshire police headquarters in Chester, all diverted calls will still be charged at the local rate for Alsager.

"If someone rings the Alsager station number, which is 01270-873785, and there is no response within 30 seconds, the call is redirected to the central switchboard,'' said a police spokesman.

"The station is manned 24 hours a day by members of staff, but they are not always at the station.

"It is frustrating for people not being able to get through, and this new system will address that situation.

"Alternately people can dial the divisional police control room at Northwich, which covers Alsager, also at the local rate.''

People wanting to ring Alsager police station should ring 01270-873785, while the divisional control room at Northwich can be contacted on 01606-48000.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.