Sir – I am extremely worried that the Roads Policing Unit at Whitehill is to close as highlighted in the Herald the other week. Alton, Petersfield and the Whitehill/Bordon area have some of the most dangerous roads in the county of Hampshire on the following routes including the A339,325,32,31,272 and the B3349 because of the way they are driven on by some motorists, not necessarily always, because the roads in themselves are inherently 'dangerous'.
These roads are not unofficial racing circuits, but public highways and the traffic police need to be out there patrolling from a local centre.
Numerous people have been killed and injured on these roads in the last five years, including the six people who died in just one incident at Ropley on the A31 in 2005.
Locally to Alton the A339 and A32 already have 'high risk' signs on them due to the rate of incidents.
Since the 30 mph limit was introduced on the Basingstoke Road in Alton on June 2 last year for example, motor vehicles are still heading along this stretch at 50 mph plus at times and even overtaking, hence the recent speed limit reminder signs, not that they appear to have done any good as to reducing speed for some motorists.
It is a residential Road like Whitedown Lane around the corner. In order for my 10 year old daughter to walk to school with her friends we still consider it too dangerous for her to cross the Basingstoke Road twice on her own to meet up with them at the bottom of High ridge. My wife or I have to cross with her. There is no safe alternative footpath and no pedestrian crossing for her, young families or many elderly people who live along the south side of our road and in Will Hall Close who wish to go by foot into/out of town and elsewhere.
If anything we need more resources being put into road traffic policing not less. I trust local town, district, county councillors and our MP will be doing all they can to stop this closure.
C Lawrence, Basingstoke Road, Alton