Category:Police Station

The main police station was located within the Old Town Hall in the High Street and the watch house, consisting of four lock-up rooms where an extra constable lived and slept adjoined the gaol. Following a visit by the Government's Inspector of Police in 1861 it was recommended that due to the growth of both Hastings and St. Leonards, resulting in the merging of the new towns, a police station for the 'West Ward' - St. Leonards should be opened as a matter of some necessity. The Council agreed to this proposal, however, were slow in actually implementing the recommendation. This resulted in Mr. Gausden raising the matter again at a Council meeting on the 2nd of May of the following year (1862) - proposing that the matter should be expedited - a proposal which the Council approved^[1]

Following the construction of the Town Hall, the police moved to offices on the side of the building and could often be seen drilling in the adjoining car/coach park. Additional police stations were in Winchelsea Road, Mount Road, Battle Road and Bohemia Road. The police headquarters were finally re-located to their current, purpose-built, site in Bohemia Road during 1969^[2].

The Mount Road and Battle Road stations were later replaced by police boxes - the former being relocated to Frederick Road and the latter, the opposite side of Battle Road. By 1950, the main police station moved from the new Town Hall to 4-5 Robertson Terrace, the building being altered to suit this purpose^[3].

Also during the 1950s, many properties were either re-built following war damage or altered to become police houses; known locations being 5, 7, 11, 13, 68, 70, 70a, 87, 88-98 (evens) Hoads Wood Road^[4], the bombed sites of 14-20 Milward Road^[5], 22 The Broadway^[6], 63 Bulverhythe Road^[7]. A 'reporting station' was added in Woodland Vale Road in 1957^[8], and a 'sub-section station' in the Carlisle Parade Underground Car Park which had been converted to a pedestrian subway during 1974^[9].

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