The divisional commander was responding last week to concerns raised at the community council meeting last month about the adequacy of police cover in the town since it was linked to Galashiels to form a single operational section, now under the leadership of Inspector Mike Wynne.

In a letter to councillors, Chief Superintendent Common said the reception desk at the Selkirk station was manned from 9am-5pm on weekdays when members of the public were welcome to drop in. Outwith those hours, telephone calls made to the Selkirk station number (721701) would be routed appropriately.

When the station was closed, officers were still deployed to cover Selkirk 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although it was possible they may be in Galashiels attending calls.

Commander Common said overall crime solvency in the Selkirk Community Council area in 2007/08 was 72 per cent – well above the national average, so there was no reason for townsfolk to feel unsafe.

Council vice-chairman Lindsay Neil told The Wee Paper he accepted crime was relatively low in the town and the solve rate was high.

But he added: "That is not to say that things cannot be improved and there is still doubt over the effectiveness of the central control centre in Edinburgh in dealing with calls."

He recalled how he recently telephoned the police after he was approached by a man in Market Place wanting to sell him a generator and a high-pressure water pump.

"I suspected the goods were stolen, called the police and was put through to a girl at the control centre at Bilston.

"It was clear she had no knowledge of Selkirk and half an hour later, by which time the trader was long gone, I got a call from the Hawick station asking me what town the Market Place was in.

"We should be encouraging the public to report crimes and I believe the communication system requires improvement."