THE enquiry office at Lisnaskea Police Station will officially close its doors at the end of this month, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have confirmed. 

The office is one of 11 that will be shut across Northern Ireland, with the PSNI citing "financial and resource pressures" as the reason for the move. 

As a result, the number of enquiry offices in Northern Ireland will be reduced from 28 to 17, with offices, including Lisnaskea, officially closing on August 1. 

However, the PSNI has stressed that the office closures "are not station closures", with each station remaining operational. 

 "This decision follows an extensive review which included analysis of the volume and type of demand in enquiry offices," said Assistant Chief Constable for Local Policing, Bobby Singleton.

"This review concluded that against the backdrop of wider resource challenges, the current service is neither sustainable nor effective.

“This is not a decision we have taken lightly, however, the PSNI is facing unprecedented financial pressure and savings are necessary to deliver a sustainable and effective organisation.”

When the announcement was made in April, locals described the closure as  "another service taken from the town", "a retrograde step", and "a disgrace". 

The Police Service of Northern Ireland currently operates 28 enquiry offices across Northern Ireland. 

One of these sites, Musgrave Street in Belfast, operates 24/7 with Strand Road, Londonderry, opening for 76 hours per week and the remaining 26 sites opening for 40 hours per week.

These ‘front counters’ are operated by Station Enquiry Assistants (SEAs), employed by a third-party private sector contractor as part of a managed services contract.