MORE THAN 600 police stations have shut in the last eight years as violent crime has surged.

It has left some cities in the UK without a police station and left residents feeling unprotected from crimes such as assaults and burglaries.

Since 2010, central government funding of the police has fallen by about 20 per cent, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

This has resulted in 606 stations shutting - the largest in policing history.

In Gloucestershire, 21 out of 28 police stations, including Tetbury, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Moreton-in-the-Marsh, have closed down.

In the Thames Valley area, 24 of 60 stations have shut, while 11 police station front counters in Lancashire have been closed this year, Freedom of Information figures obtained by the Sunday Times revealed.

Cities such as Bath and St Albans no longer have a police station.

In Southmead, a suburb of Bristol, residents said the closure of the station last year led to disorder and antisocial behaviour in the area.

Riot police were sent to restore order following arson attacks on cars, joyriding and open drug-dealing.

Police later announced a permanent new station at a hospital.

In Hungerford, in Berkshire, an axed police station has been replaced by a base in the local fire station, but residents are asked to report crime elsewhere.

London alone has lost 100 police stations since 2010.

Responding to that, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "The Met Police is losing £1bn over 10 years. The simple choice is police officers or front counters.

"It's a tough choice that I've got to make - I'm choosing police officers."

Paul Kohler, a university lecturer from south west London, said he only survived a brutal attack at the hands of four thugs at his home because cops in Wimbledon were able to rescue him within eight minutes.

He suffered a fractured eye socket, broken nose and severe internal bleeding when four men forced their way into his family home in 2014.

In June this year he lost a high court battle to stop half of London's police station front counters being closed - albeit the Wimbledon one was saved.

He said: "The argument from the Government is they are just bricks and mortar, and if you have the technology it doesn’t matter if they are shut down.

"This is clearly ridiculous. If you cut, cut and cut, of course it’s going to have an effect."

John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, which represents more than 100,000 rank-and-file officers, said: “Police stations in town centres provide a visible reassurance.

"One has to question the decision to withdraw visible policing from the streets.”

The figures come a week after it was revealed one in three bobbies on the beat have been axed.

The Home Office said: “Police have the resources they need to carry out their vital work. However, we know the nature of crime is changing.

"That is why we provided a settlement that is increasing total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018-19, including increased funding for local policing through council tax precept.”