POLICE officers and civilian staff at Astley Bridge station say they are "dismayed" by news that their canteen is to be axed.

In a bid to balance the books, Greater Manchester Police has announced it is closing 11 of its station canteens across the force area.

One of those earmarked for closure is the canteen at Astley Bridge Police Station, which is available on weekdays to around 120 officers and 12 support staff.

Sgt Mick Edge, Police Federation representative at the station says people are upset by the news, particularly as it will mean the two catering staff losing their jobs.

The canteen is expected to shut within three months and follows a review of catering facilities across the force carried out over the last nine months.

Closing 11 of their 15 canteens is expected to save the force £250,000 a year at a time when it is trying to claw back a £7 million budget deficit.

But Sgt Edge says the loss of the Astley Bridge canteen - the only one at a police station in Bolton - will have a big impact on the people who use it.

Astley Bridge police station on Crompton Way is in a relatively isolated position, away from shops and food retailers and so staff rely on the canteen to provide them with hot meals and sandwiches.

"People are dismayed. This has all been done for monetary reasons. Everybody is not very happy about it," said Sgt Edge.

"It is going to be inconvenient, but the saddest part of it is that the catering staff are going to lose their jobs."

Officers and staff say they will now have to bring sandwiches from home or nip out to takeaways for food.

And officers on patrol, particularly when it is cold and wet, will miss the ability to have a hot meal when they return to the station.

"Sometimes operational response officers just don't have time to cook anything for themselves," said Sgt Edge.

"The canteen is a facility we are definitely going to miss."

GMP's assistant chief officer Lynne Potts, who is in charge of force resources said the loss of jobs due to the closures is regrettable, but the force's priority is to spend money on putting officers back into the community.

"We have to make the best use of the limited resources and that means investing in front line policing," said Ms Potts.

"We have to provide the policing service that the people of Greater Manchester want."